Things to do in Fond du Lac this weekend include Labor Day Parade, dahlias in bloom and a free concert

FOND DU LAC – With the arrival of September comes the Labor Day Parade, Dahlia Days and more.

Ripon will host a bonus free concert in its summer series featuring 10 Years while the history of local politics will be on display through political cartoons.

Here are a few events you won’t want to miss in the coming week.

Labor Day Parade to march down Main Street Sept. 2

The Fond du Lac Labor Day Parade will be held Sept. 2. It will begin at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Rees and Main streets. The parade will travel south on Main Street to Western Avenue.

Labor Day honors the American worker. City offices are closed Sept. 2 in observance of the holiday.

Garbage normally collected on Mondays will be collected Tuesday along with the regular Tuesday routes. Also of note, buses will not run, the Senior Center will be closed and the public library will be closed Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.

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Dahlias in full bloom at Airy Point Farms

Airy Point Farms will celebrate Dahlia Days Aug. 29 and 30. Thousands of dahlias will be in bloom during these summer nights.

The celebration will be 5 to 8 p.m. each night at N7090 Hillview Road, Saint Cloud.

Live music by local artists, food trucks and more will be included.

Tickets are $10 for adults and free for 10 and younger. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at airypointfarms.com/workshopevents .

This year, 100% of alcohol sales will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin through the “Blooms for Babes” fundraiser.

10 Years to headline free concert in Ripon summer series

The Horicon Bank Ripon Summer Concert Series will offer a special bonus concert Aug. 31 featuring national recording artist 10 Years.

The free concert will run 5 to 11 p.m. at the Village Green in downtown Ripon. The opening acts are is Infer/Red, followed by Conquer Divide.

10 Years, an American hard rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, was founded in 1999 by lead guitarist Brian Vodinh and rhythm guitarist Matt Wantland. Since 2002, the band has been fronted by lead vocalist Jesse Hasek.

According to a news release, the band gained widespread recognition with its 2005 breakthrough album The Autumn Effect, which went gold and featured the hit single “Wasteland.” Other hits include “Beautiful” from Division (2008), and “Shoot It Out” and “Fix Me” from Feeding the Wolves (2010). The band is touring across the United States to promote its latest release, "Rise."

Carry-ins are not allowed, as beverage sales at the venue help cover the cost of entertainment. For more information, visit downtownripon.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/downtownripon .

Wild and fresh at center of potluck gathering

The Fond du Lac Audubon group will host a Wild Feast Potluck Sept. 4. The gathering will begin at 5 p.m. at the Denevue Creek Shelter, Lakeside Park (east end of Harbor View Drive).

Those wishing to attend should take their own place setting, plus a beverage and a dish or drink to pass. The contribution should include some wild ingredients or fresh produce from your garden. Take a list of the ingredients used or the recipe so others can avoid allergy problems.

For more information, contact Diana Beck at 920-922-7931 or dianahbeck@gmail.com .

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Local exhibits view politics through cartoons

Wisconsin Art will host the exhibit “Pow-litical Comics: From Ripon to the RNC,” set to open at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Caestecker Gallery in the Rodman building of Ripon College. It will be on display through Oct. 4.

The exhibit follows the state’s pivotal role from the birth of the Republican Party in Ripon in 1854 to its contemporary status as one of the nation’s most crucial battleground states. Through political cartoons, “Pow-litical Comics” captures the essence of a divided yet dynamic political landscape.

In conjunction with the main exhibition, the Little White Schoolhouse, 1074 W. Fond du Lac St., will host a Pop-Up Exhibit titled “Elephant in the Room,” which will explore the birth and evolution of the Republican Party mascot through political cartoons. The exhibit will be on display Sept. 6-29, with an opening reception set for 7 p.m. Sept. 10. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission to the exhibit is free.

For more information, visit lwsh.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/ripon1854 .

Contact Mara Wegner at mwegner@gannett.com or 920-996-7241.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Things to do in Fond du Lac this weekend include Labor Day Parade, dahlias in bloom and a free concert