You can download the complete program for the 2024 festival here: Pull-out section with the full festival program
Greenbelt’s beloved Labor Day Festival, running Friday, August 30 through Monday, September 2, offers a plethora of activities for every age and interest. Carnival rides, bingo, fair food, sporting events, music performances, the big parade and many chances to connect with your community and neighbors are all about to begin. This article focuses on getting the most out of Sunday and Monday offerings at the summer-ending Festival.
Sunday, September 1
For the morning go-getters, the Tour De Greenbelt bike ride has two stages. The first leaves at 9 a.m. from the New Deal Café and heads to Greenbelt Station. The second leg leaves from the New Deal around 10 a.m. and finishes at Schrom Hills Park. Make sure to bring a bike that can handle the distance.
At Braden Field, the egg spoon race starts at 10 a.m., the sack race at 10:15 a.m., T-ball at 10:30 a.m. and the water relay at 11:30 a.m. Over in Roosevelt Center, the renowned craft fair begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. By the main stage, join Katy Gaughan’s Drumming for Wellness family-friendly drum circle from 11 a.m. to noon – drums and hand-held percussion instruments are provided.
At noon, the booths and bingo reopen for the day, and the lively Greenbelt Honk! Situation street band entertains until 1:30 p.m.
At 1 p.m., children’s bingo will be in the Youth Center, and the cornhole tournament (for 12 and older) gets going at Braden Field. Then at 2 p.m., the youth table tennis tournament (for 12 and under) and the Hot Shot basketball contest (for 17 and under) get rolling.
At the Greenbelt Museum, once again this year the Retro Town Fair will accept entries from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and then display the winning entries of flowers, vegetables, baked goods, canned goods and needlework/sewing from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition, tours of the Museum’s historic house run from 1 to 5 p.m. on the half hour.
From 1 to 4 p.m., next to the stage, a community project invites attendees to send a message to the Festival, to Greenbelt, to Maryland, to the United States, to the world or to the universe. In the Community Center gym, the art show and photo show will feature local artists and photographers from 1 to 6 p.m. Come vote for favorites.
For musical performances, Downtown Tumbao comes from Mexico City by way of Baltimore with Afro-Caribbean heat from 2 to 4 p.m. and the Rising Stars performance showcase runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
At 6 p.m., during a break, a memorial gathering will be held to honor all loved ones who have died in the past year. The memorial gathering will include placing flowers on the hill behind the Mother and Child statue. After the Rising Stars conclude, the Honky Tonk Cassanovas perform a mix of country/western and more from 8 to 11 p.m.
Monday, September 2
The big show, the annual Labor Day Parade, begins at 10 a.m. Led by the parade’s Grand Marshal (the 2024 Outstanding Citizen) and the Greenbelt Police Department Color Guard, a pipe and drum corps, a variety of musical groups, all manner of local community organizations and more will march and honor the city’s spirit of community pride. The parade route will run along Crescent Road, from Greenhill to the reviewing stand at the intersection with Southway, ending about noon.
At 11 a.m., the booths open for the last time until next year. At noon, after the parade, a Luncheon on the Lawn will be held at Greenbelt Community Church (corner of Hillside and Crescent), with BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, baked beans and more available for purchase.
From noon to 6 p.m., the craft fair continues at Roosevelt Center. The Museum continues the Historic House Tours from noon to 2 p.m. Award presentations on the stage run from noon to 1 p.m., which will include awards for the art and photo shows as well as parade entries. The art and photo shows themselves will be open from noon to 4 p.m. And then, at the other side of Old Greenbelt, the Greenbelt American Legion Family Picnic offers food and activities for children and adults from 1 to 3 p.m.
Musician and Greenbelt native Kieran Lally opens up the music sets at 1:30 p.m. To close out the Festival, Fast Eddie and the Slowpokes bring a mix of blues and rock to the stage. Booths, bingo, craft fair and the stage all close at 6 p.m., bringing an end to another year of the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival.
