MONROE — Monroe's annual Labor Day Parade and Festival will begin at noon Saturday with a parade through downtown Monroe. The festival will follow at St. Mary's Park and run until 10 p.m. Some streets will be closed Saturday.
Monroe's Labor Day festivities had been held for decades before the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the activities returned for the first time since the pandemic began. The Monroe/Lenawee Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO are the events' organizer.
“Typically, there are about 1,500 people that attend the parade with a few hundred more that come to the festival after,” said Collin Keehn, AFL-CIO community services/labor liaison for the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.
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Where will the parade start?
The Labor Day Parade will begin at noon at the Department of Public Services' yard on Jones Avenue and then proceed west on Jones, north on Monroe Street and disband at St. Mary's Park.
Monroe Street will be closed to traffic during the parade.
This year's grand marshal is Laura Dickerson, the region director of UAW 1A, Keehn said.
When does the festival start?
The Labor Day Festival will run from 1-10 p.m. at St. Mary's Park, 111 W. Elm Avenue in Monroe.
Offered will be three live bands, several food trucks, a kids zone and a beer garden.
West Elm Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Borgess Avenue and Monroe Street from 1-10 p.m. Elm Avenue traffic will be detoured via Godfroy, Bogress and Noble avenues.
What live music will be at the festival?
Two of the bands from last year's festival are returning: Blockhouse Valley (1-3 p.m.) and The Lazy River Band (7-10 p.m.)
New this year is Julia Rose (3:30-6:30 p.m.).
What kind of food is available?
Several local vendors will sell food: Galindo's, Funky Bones BBQ and Real Life Sandwich Co.
Also scheduled to attend are a coffee truck, sno-cone truck and vendors selling elephant ears and hot dogs.
What's offered for kids at the festival?
A kids zone will have a clown, face painting and balloon animals.
Costumed characters from Addie's Character Parties also will attend, including Ariel and Spiderman (the parade to 2 p.m.) and Bluey and Elsa (2-4 p.m.).
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When is the Beer garden open?
The beer garden will be open from 1-10 p.m. and will sell $1 beers all day.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com .
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Labor Day Parade, Festival Saturday in downtown Monroe
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