Greenbelt’s beloved Labor Day Festival, running Friday, August 29, through Monday, September 1, offers a plethora of activities for every age and interest. Carnival rides, bingo, food, sporting events, music performances, the big parade and many opportunities to connect with the community and neighbors are all about to begin.
(We presented the Friday and Saturday schedule last week. For the pull-out program with the full schedule, see the August 21 issue.)
This article focuses on getting the most out of Sunday and Monday offerings at the summer-ending Festival.
Sunday, August 31
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 Café around 10 a.m. and finishes at Schrom Hills Park. Make sure to bring a bike (and have a body) that can handle the distance.
Braden Field hosts events for all ages: the egg spoon race starts at 10 a.m., the sack race at 10:30 a.m., T-ball at 11 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.
At the Greenbelt Museum, the Retro Town Fair will accept entries of flowers, vegetables, baked goods, canned goods and needlework/sewing from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and then display the entries with their winning ribbons 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.
At 11 a.m., at the main stage, a memorial gathering will be held to honor all loved ones who have died in the past year. Then join Katy Gaughan’s Drumming for Wellness family-friendly drum circle from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – drums and hand-held percussion instruments are provided or participants can bring their own.
At noon, the booths and bingo reopen for the day, until 10 p.m.
Karen Collins & the Backroad Band entertains with their retro country sound and Karen’s witty and heartfelt original songs, from 12:30 until 2 p.m.
At 1 p.m., children’s bingo in the Youth Center and the cornhole tournament (for 12 and older) at Braden Field begin. Then at 2 p.m. in the Youth Center, the youth table tennis tournament (for 12 and under) and the Hot Shot basketball contest (for 17 and under) get rolling.
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. A community engagement project, What’s My Prompt? offers attendees a chance to express themselves in words or art, from 1 to 4 p.m. next to the stage.
The Rising Stars Performance Showcase offers local performers a chance to display their talent, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Then the Greenbelt Honk! Situation takes the stage from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m., offering their unique blend of tie-dyed brass and drums musicians playing funk, pop and street band favorites.
Flo Anito and the Bay Jazz Project bring the Great American Songbook to life from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Closing out the musical night, from 8 to 11 p.m., Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band, a horn-heavy percussive musical crew, will keep the dance floor filled with highlife, rumba, Afrobeat and other sounds from Africa’s 1970s heyday.
Monday, September 1
The annual Labor Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. Led by the Grand Marshal (the 2025 Outstanding Citizen) and the Greenbelt Police Department Color Guard, and including the DuVal High School marching band, a variety of musical groups, all manner of local community organizations and more, the parade will honor the city’s community spirit. 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, rides and bingo open until 6 p.m. From noon to 6 p.m., the craft fair continues at Roosevelt Center. The art and photo shows will be open from noon to 4 p.m.
After the parade, from noon to 2 p.m., 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. At the other side of Old Greenbelt, the Greenbelt American Legion Family Picnic offers food and activities for children and adults from 2 to 4 p.m. Also from 2 to 4 p.m., the Arts Advisory Board hosts a mixer with local artists and art supporters in the Community Center Art Gallery.
On stage, Griefcat, a genre-defying musical comedy duo will make listeners laugh, cry and question their life choices, all in a single chorus. Award presentations for the art and photo shows as well as parade entries begin at 2 p.m. And to close out the Festival, The Nowhere Men and their powerhouse horn section will offer songs from artists like Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Chicago and more.
Booths, bingo, craft fair and the stage all close at 6 p.m., bringing an end to the 2025 Greenbelt Labor Day Festival.
