do you need some reasons to come to Lawrence this weekend?

Lawrence City Hall

Labor Day weekend has long been a weekend of celebration in Lawrence. This weekend marks the 96th Feast of the Three Saints, the 45th Mahrajan at Saint Anthony's Maronite Church, and the 35th  Bread and Roses Heritage Festival. The whole city becomes a celebration, bringing together labor history, immigrant history and culture, music, and food in a vibrant city still very much the Immigrant City. 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 are a few.

Feast of the Three Saints

 

From from Friday evening through Sunday, the feast celebrates three Catholic saints — St. Alfio, St. Filadelfo and St. Cirino, brothers who were martyred for their faith almost 1,800 years ago. They have been commemorated with a feast in Trescastagni, Sicily for centuries and Italian immigrants who came to Lawrence to work in the mills brought the tradition with them. Come feel the Lawrence history as you enjoy food, music, and the procession.

The Main Stage at Feast of the Three Saints

Come for the most famous Sicilian treat: crispelli. These perfect little dough balls, plain or filled with ricotta or anchovy continue to be a big draw even after the tradition of making them has been passed from the beloved Italian Kitchen to Crispelli USA. My brother-in-law, who grew up in Lawrence, swears by the anchovy ones. I prefer the plain ones with sugar on them.  Crispelli USA also serves up the delicious arancini (rice balls) and multiple flavors of Italian sausage. And don't forget to grab some cannoli from the tent in the parking lot of the Holy Rosary Church and check out the food vendors along Common Street before or after you take in the music on the main stage or the Tripoli stage.

Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening/night, and Sunday afternoon all feature entertainment on both stages. I'm most looking forward to hearing Mike Girard's Big Swinging Thing. This band is enough reason to come to Lawrence even if you don't live right next door. Seriously folks, you do not want to miss a rock and roll big band with lots of horns put together by the legendary Mike Girard and featuring a couple of other members of one of the greater Boston area's most beloved bands: The Fools! Yes, I'm told they will do some Fools classics as well as covering many rock and roll standards. Speaking of The Fools, they're doing a show with the Stompers at Boarding House Park in Lowell on Saturday night (8/31)  and that's not all that far from Lawrence.

Bread and Roses Heritage Festival

Come learn about and celebrate the history and legacy of the 1912 strike that changed labor history. Take a trolley tour or a walking tour of the historic sites and check out the Lawrence History Live! tent for discussions of labor, industrial heritage, education, and community issues with historians, writers, union representatives, and community activists. The discussions range from the role of the Lawrence Lithuanian community in the 1919 textile strike (yup, that other significant Lawrence strike) with Lithuanian folklorist and weaver/artist Jonas Stundzia to lessons from the Puerto Rico protests with singer/songwriter and activist Ani Cordero. And that's just the history tent! Cordero will also be performing her music on the Bernstein stage.

The music line-up for this year's festival looks great with lots of different traditions: folk-pop, rock and roll, Peruvian Andean music, neo-ranchera, Klezmer and lots more. Just take a look at the schedule and you're sure to find something that catches your interest. Besides Ani Cordero, I'm also looking forward to hearing Julie Rhodes belt out some roots music.

The Crowd on Campagnone Common for Bread and Roses

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

• Three stages featuring music, storytelling, and even magic and juggling
• Bread and Puppet Theater taking on the nature of reality through giant puppets 
• Pony rides, face painting, reptiles, the KidzZone (creative stuff for kids), and other kid-friendly activities
• Getting your portrait drawn by noted illustrator Ed Bray
• The food court featuring foods of many cultures

If that's not enough to do, you'll also find community organizations, political candidates, and labor organizations tabling along with various vendors. The common becomes a microcosm of Lawrence and the world.

Lebanese Mahrajan Festival

 

Fresh Homemade Felafel

Who can resist mammoul, graybeh, or baklava? Who can resist felafel? There's plenty of time to get a taste of Lebanese culture at St. Anthony's Maronite Church.  With three days of music, dancing, games, hookah, Arabic coffee, raffles, and even dancing and cooking lessons,  Saint Anthony's church parking lot turns into a wonderland. The food is all homemade and delicious, the pastry tent is up to 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. Stop by  Friday 6PM-Midnight,  Saturday 5PM- Midnight, and Sunday Noon-Midnight.

Just the Ordinary Extraordinary Coolness of Lawrence

 

Besides the festivals, there's plenty of stuff to do and see in Lawrence this weekend. Here are just a few of the cool things you can do:

You might want to check out poster collector Stephen Lewis' exhibit of international labor posters at the Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitor Center. It's on exhibit through September 28.

There's always a reason to grab a coffee, enjoy some good food, check out the current art exhibit, and maybe buy some books at El Taller, a buzzing hub of community in downtown Lawrence.

Speaking of eating good food, I've heard that Chef Antonio at Cafe Azteca is cooking up a new special this weekend: chicken and shrimp in salsa de cacahuate. That salsa sounds amazing: roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, morita, and peanuts.  (Hope I got that right.) 

Take a walk in search of some of the gorgeous murals painted by the Elevated Thought Foundation and local artists.

Just come to Lawrence and enjoy the city during its most festive weekend!