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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – Organizers with this year’s Labor Day Festival in Jamestown are hard at work preparing for the celebrations on Sunday.
For the first time in three years the Labor Day festival returns to Bergman park in Jamestown, to celebrate an occasion that is more than just another day off school, or work.
“I learned the true meaning behind it, and our labor, our labor force in Chautauqua County is incredible,“ explained Owner of Collaborate Children’s Solutions owner Patrick Smeraldo. “I cannot tell you the amount of work that the electricians union, and Austin Schieffer, and the union employees in the county have put forth this, so this is a celebration of that.”
For Owner of Collaborate Children’s Solutions Patrick Smeraldo, bringing back the festival after it being gone for such a long time has been a challenge.
“This was one of the tougher projects that we have ever taken on,“ stated Smeraldo. “Just because you want to bring it back, so you bring it back. You want to keep the tradition of it, so people don’t like change a lot, and that’s great. So we made sure we really followed the 2019 blueprint, which was a good one.”
Meanwhile, those with the Jamestown Parks Department are hard at work making sure the venue is ready for the hundreds projected to attend.
“Today and all this week we’ve been doing everything we can to get ready in the parks department,“ explained Parks Manager Dan Stone. “Cutting the grass, setting up tents, Jamestown Awning came up set up some tents for us. Making sure our electric’s good to go with some help from Austin Schieffer, getting benches out, gathering our picnic tables throughout the city and parks, getting ready, bringing benches for the Southern Tier Wrestling program that we’re going to have. And getting stuff set up for our food vendors, and everybody else to come have a great day in the park.”
Noteworthy events happening this weekend include the presentation of the George Ritzer Labor Award at 4:30 p.m., which is given to someone deeply involved with local labor movements.
Last year the award was given to organizer and assistant business manager of the Jamestown IBEW Local 106 Michael Haimes.
In the end, the Festival is a sight for sore eyes that has something for those of all ages.
“There’s really really really something for everyone up here,“ stated Smeraldo. “Kids, adults, different genres of music, it’s really great.”
Festivities kick off with the Dan Feather race, starting at 8 a.m. with many different events and vendors on tap throughout the afternoon. The day concludes with a firework extravaganza at dusk.
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