Six Reasons to Come to Lawrence for Labor Day Weekend

Monument to the 1912 Strikers

Labor Day Weekend in Lawrence brings together labor history, immigrant history and culture, music, food, and celebration in a vibrant city still very much the Immigrant City. In this spirit, the whole city becomes a city of festivals. With the Festival of the Three Saints, the Mahrajan, and the Bread and Roses Festival you can celebrate Italian culture, Lebanese culture, and labor history from Friday evening through Monday.  Celebrating in a city that actually celebrates labor on Labor Day is reason enough to be here, but in case you need more reasons, here's a list.

1. The Feast of the Three Saints is celebrating its 95th year!
From from Friday evening through Sunday, the feast celebrates three Catholic saints — St. Alfio, St. Filadelfo and St. Cirino. The three brothers were martyred for their faith almost 1,800 years ago and have been commemorated with a feast in Trescastagni, Sicily for centuries. Italian immigrants who came to Lawrence to work in the mills, brought the tradition with them.  You'll get a real sense of Lawrence history as you enjoy food, music, and the procession , celebrating both a religious festival and Italian culture.

Members of the St. Alfio Society Getting the Saints Ready for the Procession

Some highlights this year are:

Bocce

New this year, is bocce for kids and a bocce tournament for the grownups! Never played bocce? It's not too late to learn. Learn to play or refresh your skills on Friday evening in the parking lot next to North End Deli on Common Street.

The Original Drifters

This year's music lineup features classic doo-wop music by "The Original Drifters"on Saturday evening. This should be a fun show for all ages.

Taste of Italy Cooking Demos and Tastings

Cafe Tre Santi, aka the church parking lot, will host wine tastings, food tastings, cooking demos, and a cheese making demo.  You can learn about Italian wine and food pairings, hear all about wine making from the Merrimack Valley's most popular wine makers (Franco and Johnnies Vino), watch the "Original" Crispelli King Peter Messina of the Italian Kitchen make the legendary treat (crispelli), and learn all about the art of making fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese from Luca Mignogna of Wolf Meadow Farms (and taste the fresh cheeses of course).

 2. Bread and Roses Heritage Festival

Learn about and celebrate the history and legacy of the 1912 strike that changed labor history and also celebrate the diverse cultures of Lawrence.

The Crowd at Bread and Roses

On Labor Day from 11:30 AM - 6:00PM Campagnone Common hosts an amazing array of activities:

• enjoy live music on multiple stages in an amazing diversity of styles from traditional Garifuna dance and drumming to jazz and hip-hop and everything in between -- check out the schedule to see who's playing each stage
• learn about Lawrence's history and its present from  historians, writers, union representatives, and community activists at the live history stage
• listen to speakers on labor and social issues, poetry readings, and labor songs or take to the soapbox yourself to tell it like it is at the community corner and soapbox
• have fun with kids' activities including pony rides, face painting, and arts activities
• take a tour -- both trolley tours and historic walking tours take you to sites related to the 1912 strike and other aspects of this historic mill city
• check out a variety of tables with vendors and non-profit organizations -- everything from food to labor organizing  -- and did you know that Mill City Zine Distro will be on of those tables? If you missed them at the Lowell Anarchist Book Fair last weekend, catch them on Labor Day in Lawrence.

3. Oompa

This year's Bread and Roses Festival is a great chance for you to hear the amazing Boston-born poet and rapper, Oompa! Trust me, she is reason enough to come to Lawrence on Labor Day in and of herself.  2016 WOWPS (Women of the World Poetry Slam) Winner and a finalist at the 2016 National Poetry Slam, Oompa is a rising star on the Boston music scene. Check out her bio on the festival schedule and get yourself to the Teoli Stage at 2:00PM on Monday for a real treat.

4. Lebanese Mahrajan Festival

Get a taste of Lebanese culture at the 44th Mahrajan at St. Anthony's Maronite Church. Three days of music, dancing and plenty of  Lebanese (and American) food starts Friday evening. That's plenty of time to enjoy the food, music, dancing, hookah, games, and even cooking classes. Stop by  Friday 6PM-Midnight,  Saturday 5PM- Midnight, and Sunday Noon-Midnight.


The food is all homemade and delicious, the pastry tent is three tables long, the music is great, and the parishioners are friendly. You'll feel right at home partaking in this great Merrimack Valley tradition.

Just a Few of the Delicious Pastries at the Mahrajan

5. Leonard Bernstein Was Born Here

Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence on August 25, 1918. Lawrence celebrated his centennial year with a wonderful 10-day festival and orchestras all over the USA are still doing centennial tributes to one of the best known sons of the Immigrant City. The Lawrence History Center has folders chock-full of mementos of Bernstein's many visits back to his home town after he became famous.   In many ways, his family history is similar to that of lots of people in Lawrence. Why not celebrate the centennial by exploring Lawrence and getting a feel for the mills and the immigrant history? Look around for possible sources of his inspiration and evidence of his impact.


6. Murals

Island Street Murals

Lawrence is home to loads of beautiful murals. Go on a mural quest. Take a walk, turn a corner, and be surprised by colorful art where you least expect it.  Many of these murals are the work of Lawrence-based Elevated Thought, which works with several other local communities as well. Three murals painted by Elevated Thought feature in the set for the Bread and Roses Festival's grand finale "Lawrence Hustle & Soul", a multi-media production based on the play “Morir Soñando” by Nilson Mata.