Despite what has been deemed one of the hottest Labor Day Festivals in memory by many in attendance, Greenbelt successfully ran a massive community event, bringing out residents and nonresidents alike, with estimates of over 2,000 people in attendance. The Festival included a parade, a local art show, carnivals, rides, games, contests, sports – there was something for everyone. Despite the heat, participants walked around information booths, checked out Greenbelt Museum exhibits and listened to live music, featuring everything from classic blues to western swing.
One of the biggest hits this year was the talent show for rising stars, which contained 28 acts – the biggest turnout so far, according to Linda Ivy, long-time Greenbelt resident and president of the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival Committee. “The festival is put on so that many local organizations can continue to operate,” explained Ivy, who puts hours of work into the festival each year. “For example, bingo is put on by St. Hugh’s Ladies of Charity. The money helps them support the organization.”
Doubling as a community gathering and a fundraiser, each organization shares a portion of their profits to the Festival and keeps the rest so they can continue to function throughout the year. It also aids organizations by bringing new people into the center of town to show them what Greenbelt has to offer. In her 45 years here, Ivy has raised four children, taking them to the Labor Day Festival each year. “To me, it’s a Greenbelt homecoming,” Ivy told me. “Especially for the youth who have grown up and come back with their families to show their kids what it was like to grow up in Greenbelt.”
That’s definitely what it felt like for Greenbelt police officer George Mathews, who called the Festival a tradition that allows him to talk to old friends as well as to meet new ones. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing people come up and interact with the police and thank them for what they are doing,” Mathews stated. “We love getting to interact with our residents.”
Keeping with tradition, Greenbelt police marched in the parade with a color guard unit and a bike unit, alongside several young friends on their own bikes. They also provided an information booth, foot patrol and bike patrol to allow for a safe, positive and fun atmosphere to be at the Festival.
Also helping to create this atmosphere was Greenbelt’s Public Works Department, who constructed and wired booths, ran the electricity, managed the recycling and garbage, and then took it all down again. “That’s all we do a week before the Festival, during the Festival and a few days afterwards,” said Sustainability Coordinator Luisa Robles, mentioning that every member of their department has to play a role to make it happen.
Piri Jenkins, a member of the Book Sale Committee, estimates that more than 200 hours of work went into running the book sale alone, set up by her two-person committee and several volunteers. The profits go to the PTA at Greenbelt Elementary School, where Jenkins’ two children attend, allowing them to provide teacher training and other resources that the school needs. It’s a lot of work, but Jenkins does it for her kids and her community, the same reason that most people volunteer year after year. For them, it’s a tradition that turns around and helps their town, their neighbors and their families.
And the heat couldn’t beat the tradition out of Greenbelt. “It’s just a labor of love for me and my committee,” Linda Ivy explained, “it’s been around for 64 years and I hope it stays around for at least another 64.”