At 6 p.m. on Friday, August 30, the Ferris wheel starts turning and the grills start sizzling as the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival returns to the town center. Carnival rides, bingo, fair food, sporting events, music performances, the big parade and a chance to connect with your community and neighbors are all just around the corner. Here’s a quick guide to getting the most out of this beloved summer-ending festival. This issue covers the events for Friday and Saturday; next week’s issue will focus on events for Sunday and Monday.
Friday, August 30
As the Carnival Midway opens at 6 p.m., the Community Painting Project begins, next to the Book Sale. Participants can let loose their inner artist using acrylic paint on canvas. Bingo starts up on the Community Center lawn, sponsored by Greenbelt Youth Baseball. Special memorial games for bigger cash prize amounts will be announced during the games. Both activities happen each day for the remainder of the Festival.
Opening Ceremonies
At 6:30 p.m., the Greenbelt Police and color guard will bring in the Opening Ceremonies. This will include introduction of dignitaries, a performance of the National Anthem by Melissa Sites and the Outstanding Citizen presentation. A reception for the 2024 Outstanding Citizen follows at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building.
At 8 p.m., rock ’n’ roller Johnny Seaton takes the main stage, winding up the first night.
Saturday, August 31
First thing on Saturday, a Celebration of Distinguished Service by past members of the Greenbelt City Council will take place at a breakfast reception at the New Deal Café at 8 a.m. Then starting at 9 a.m., the Greenbelt Museum exhibition on the New Deal art of Lenore Thomas opens and goes until 5 p.m. The two-hour Bricks and Blocks Walking Tour, covering Greenbelt history and architecture, leaves from the Museum at 9 a.m. Visit the museum’s website to pre-register.
For kids and kids at heart, at 9:30 a.m. the Pet Show for kids and teens begins on the Community Center lawn. Any kind of pet is welcome. Judging and awards begin at 10 a.m. Several events begin at 10 a.m. at Braden Field. First up is the diaper derby (kids under 3). Then at 10:45 a.m., the ballon waddle race teeters to a start. To cool down after, the water balloon toss starts at 11 a.m. Then, just in time for lunch, the pie-eating contest is at 11:30 a.m. Midway booths open at 10:30 a.m.
At noon, kids can meet Captain America and Superman on the main stage until 1 p.m., when princesses Anna and Elsa lead a sing-along, followed by a Taylor Tribute (costume optional) until 3 p.m.
After some fair fare for lunch, the Photo Scavenger Hunt, 2-Ball Tournament (kids under 16), and 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament (kids 13 to 17) happen one after the other starting at 1 p.m. in the Youth Center.
At 3:30 p.m., upbeat rock and soul band The Relics take the stage, followed by the legendary Granny and the Boys at 5:30 p.m. The Motown sound band The NoWhere Men close out the night from 8 to 11 p.m. The rest of the all-day activities such as bingo and the booths close at 10 p.m.
