Locations

This really depends on where in the country you live. Down south? The beach seems like the obvious choice. Up north? Try a public park. Here’s a short list of the best locations to hold your Labor Day celebrations:

• Backyard: A location that is likely the easiest choice. The backyard offers everything one may need for the celebration, all in the comfort of your own home.
  
  
• Beach: For those of us lucky enough to live on the water, the beach is the perfect option. There’s room to lie out in the sun, there are usually public grills to use, and the water adds to the list of activities in which you can participate.
  
  
• Park: If water’s not an option, the park is just as nice. With big open spaces, there’s tons of room for the kids to play while the grownups enjoy quality time together.

No matter where you go, remember to bring a mosquito trap. It’s still summer, and mosquitoes would love nothing more than to ruin your holiday.

Foods

While what you eat on Labor Day depends on your preferences and where you decide to celebrate, there are in fact a number of Labor Day food favorites. It is, after all, a grill day!

• Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: These grill classics are practically synonymous with Labor Day. They’re inexpensive, easy to prepare, and just about everybody likes them! What’s more, if you don’t have access to a grill, you can simply prepare them using your preferred at-home method, and take them with you.
  
  
• Potato Salad: Borrowed from the 4th of July tradition, side dishes like potato salad go great with just about anything you decide to cook up on Labor Day. If you’re attending someone else’s party this year, or, if your celebration is a potluck, they make a great contribution to the overall meal.
  
  
• Fruit Pies: Summer is the best season for pie. Plenty of traditional pie-filling fruits are still in season. Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, and even Strawberries are in their prime all around the country. Don’t feel like pie? Cantaloupe is coming into season about now.

As far as beverages go, the sky’s the limit. Juice and water are great for the kids, but wine for the adults is nice with dinner! If you’re celebrating away from home this year, sneak a bottle into a picnic pack.

Activities

This is the part of Labor Day that kids (and some adults too!) look forward to. Depending on where you decide to celebrate, there are a number of unique options available to you, but we thought we’d list a few classics. 

• Sack Race: For this, all you need is one sack for each contestant. Traditionally, these were made of burlap, but as that’s a little more difficult to come by these days, a full-size garbage bag works just fine. The object is simple. Get in the bag, and hop to the finish line before everyone else!
  
  
• Egg Toss: This can be messy, but it can also be a lot of fun. Organize your contestants into teams of two. Give each player a tablespoon, and each team one egg (not hardboiled, that’s cheating!). The object of the game is to toss the eggs between teammates without breaking them. The last team with a solid egg wins!
  
  
• Water Balloon Fight: After the egg toss, you may need this to clean up! But seriously, Labor Day is usually a warm one, and there’s no better way to cool off than by getting wet. Give each player their “ammo” (as many balloons as they can hold), and watch them go to town. Whoever’s “driest” when all the balloons are gone, wins.

If there will be toddlers at the party and you plan to be out for a few hours, it may not be a bad idea to bring a resting mat. This way, the party doesn’t have to stop when your kiddo gets tired!

This year, Labor Day falls on September 6. That means there’s not much time to prepare. Get cracking!