Labor Day Is Coming--The Rest Is Easy

The halcyon days of sunshine and sunburns, hot dogs and humidity will soon be over, but there’s still time for one last hurrah.

Monday is Labor Day, offering a final chance to grab summer by the horns and ride it for all it’s worth. For those without holiday plans, the San Gabriel Valley is chock full of ways to mark the end of the season.

Most local, state and federal government offices will be closed Monday--including public libraries, the Department of Motor Vehicles and banks--but leisure pursuits are plentiful.

In Walnut, the Elks Club will hold its annual Labor Day picnic today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lemon Creek Park, complete with magic show and other entertainment.

For those yearning for the slower pace of days gone by, an old-fashioned ice-cream social and picnic will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Los Angeles’s Heritage Square Museum, located off the Pasadena Freeway at 5300 Homer St. in Los Angeles. Participants in the event, billed as “Labor’s Reward,” are encouraged to dress in Victorian era clothes.

Meanwhile, the San Gabriel Mission concludes a three-day fiesta today. The celebration features food booths, costumes, games and music and will end tonight at 11. The mission is at 537 W. Mission Road in San Gabriel.

Sports enthusiasts also have some Labor Day Weekend fun in store.

The final rounds of the Blue and Gold Invitational Boxing Tournament will begin today at 1 p.m. at the Baldwin Park Community Center. Teams from the western United States and Canada will compete in this amateur competition.

Baldwin Park will also host a competition of the Golden State Judo Club today at 8 a.m. at Sierra Vista High School. The event will feature demonstrations of various judo styles.

Plant lovers can check out the Los Angeles International Fern Society’s show of exotic ferns, trees and other plants at the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum. The show runs through Monday at the arboretum, at 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia.

Monday, walking aficionados can trek nine miles from San Gabriel Mission to Los Angeles’ Olvera Street to help celebrate the 209th birthday of Los Angeles. Walkers will set out at 6:30 a.m. from the mission at 537 W. Mission Road in San Gabriel and will be met at Olvera Street by a birthday party. The festival will wrap up about 3:30 p.m.

Alhambra will sponsor a Labor Day concert Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Alhambra Park’s Band Shell. The concert will feature the steel-drum band Pandemonium. Alhambra Park is at 500 N. Palm Ave. Admission is free and people should bring a picnic lunch.

Claremont will celebrate Labor Day with a chili cook-off and picnic Monday from 1 to 9 p.m. at Memorial Park. The event will feature chili- and watermelon-eating contests and music from the Hot Pecans, Lilies of the West and the Three Fiddle Harmonics. Memorial Park is at 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd. in Claremont.

Best Bets, J2