Labor Day Weekend Rundown

Labor Day Weekend starts the second you get off work today. Are you planning an easy weekend at home with family and friends? Or are you planning a more active weekend, taking advantage of the events and specials around town and the D.C. area? Either way, Patch has you covered. Take a look at some of the Labor Day Weekend events we’ve scoped out below and be sure to look back at this week’s “Get Out” for a few more ideas.

Parades and Festivals:

If you’ve being looking at our weekend “Get Out,” you’ll know that the Olde Towne Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade takes place, Monday at 1 p.m. on Summit and Diamond Avenues in Gaithersburg. The parade line up includes all the traditional parade elements: fire engines, high school marching bands, clowns, horses and giant balloons.

The Kensington Labor Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. and starts at the intersection of St. Paul and Plyers Mill. A full parade route can be found on our Kensington Patch. The Kensington Labor Day festival will immediately follow the parade at Armory and Howard Avenue. The festival will feature  food, games and live music

The Greenbelt Community Center will host the Sept. 2 through Sept. 5. There will be carnival rides, games, a petting zoo, art exhibits, athletic tournaments and more, but check out a full schedule at the Greenbelt Labor Day web site.

Museums and National Parks:

It’s business as usual for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. The National Park Service does not have any public Labor Day events scheduled, though you will want to double check their website before taking the family to the Washington Monument, which remains closed due to damage from the earthquake. All other memorials should be open.

This weekend marks the end of extended summer hours for several Smithsonian Museums. Check the full calendar here.

Concerts and Shows:

The big Labor Day Concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra at the U.S. Capitol will take place Sunday at 8 p.m. on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme is Legends of Washington Music: John Philip Sousa, "Duke" Ellington, and Chuck Brown, the "Godfather of Go-Go." The concert is free and open to the public.

A three-day festival at the Kennedy Center will give audiences a preview of work being prepared for the Washington 2011/2012 theater season. The Center will host more than 40 local theater companies for a series of free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals. The event is free, with no tickets required. Check out a full schedule at the Kennedy Center website.

The Annual D.C. Blues Festival takes place Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The festival is a free event at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre.

Sports:

The Nationals play the Mets this weekend in the Washington Nationals Grand Slam Weekend. The weekend will also host a concert by Los Angeles-based rock band Lifehouse, as well as many other activities.

Local Sales and Specials:

is running a large Labor Day special this weekend, with hot ticket items including grills, leaf scoops, bird seed and furnace filters. The full Potomac Strosniders flyer can be found here.

Carter’s locations across the area will be running a 50%-off special through Monday. The special runs both in stores and on-line.

Area Macy’s stores are also running a Labor Day sale throughout the weekend. An extra in-stores savings pass can be found on-line here.

Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments!