August 10, 2014
CHICAGO (Aug. 11)—America’s only national holiday honoring organized labor will be a big one throughout the state of Illinois this year, with events organized all up and down and all across the state from Rockford in the far north to Du Quoin deep in the southern coal-mining country and from Danville on the east to East St. Louis, the Quad Cities and Quincy along the Mississippi. No matter where you live or work, you can celebrate your labor heritage by taking your family to one of the AFL-CIO-sanctioned events listed below. Note that the historic railroad town of Galesburg will be holding its 122nd Labor Day festival, the oldest in the U.S.
Remember, not all events are free. Please contact the organizers listed below for further information on the events in your area. And have a great Labor Day celebration with your fellow union members!
BELLEVILLE
August 28 – Southwestern Illinois CLC annual Labor Awards Dinner
Location: Panorama Banquet Center (downstairs), Bel-Air Bowl, 200 S. Belt West, Belleville, IL 62220
Time: Doors open 6:00 p.m. with Dinner at 7:00p.m.
Cost: $25 per person for dinner, Sponsor ad book $75 ½ 4 ½ X 3 ¾ page & $150 Full page 4 ½ X 7 1/2
Contact: Charles Kaemmerer, Jr. at 618-979-4953 or Terry Knoth at 618-233-8441.
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade & Picnic
Location: Parade is in downtown Belleville, lineup starts in 4th block of South 1st St., and will end at Hough Park with the annual Picnic. Parade & Picnic open to union members and their families ONLY and includes food, beverage and rides and games for kids.
Time: Parade – 8:00 a.m. lineup, 10:00 a.m. start / Picnic – 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Contact: Bill Thurston, 618-973-3226
Special Notice: NO PETS OF ANY KIND ALLOWED AT PARADE OR PICNIC
BLOOMINGTON – NORMAL
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade followed by a dinner in Miller Park for union members and their families. Theme is “”Follow in their Footsteps – Register & Vote”
Location: Downtown Bloomington – starting at Front and Madison Streets
Time: Parade – 9 a.m. line up, 10 a.m. start / Lunch – 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Mike Matejka 309-827-3934
CHAMPAIGN – URBANA
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade followed by a Celebration of Labor in the park and softball tournament.
Location: Downtown Urbana
Time: Parade begins at 10 a.m., picnic and tournament immediately following at Prairie Park in Urbana.
Contact: 217-352-5151
CHARLESTON
Aug. 23 – Mid-Eastern Illinois CLC Labor Picnic, with food, drinks and live music. This is the 38th year!
Location: Fox Ridge State Park, brick pavilion, (8 miles south of Charleston on Rt. 130).
Time: Noon until 4 PM
Contact: Charles Delman, 217-348-7786 or Dan Kimball, 217-234-4609
CHICAGO
Aug. 30-31 – Labor in the Pulpit/on the Bimah/in the Minbar. Launched 15 years ago, Labor in the Pulpit/on the Bimah/in the Minbar is organized by the Chicago Federation of Labor and features union members, shop stewards and elected labor leaders speaking at over 1000 religions services across the Chicagoland area. Presenters discuss how labor and faith communities work to achieve social and economic justice.
Locations: TBA
Times: TBA
Contact: Nora Cay Ryan, 312-222-1000
GALESBURG
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade
Location: Parade goes down Main Street; Picnic at Lake Storey Park immediately following parade.
Time: 10:00 AM – lineup begins at 8 AM
Contact: Randy Bryan, 309-696-7649 or E-mail the parade committee at labordayparade@hotmail.com
Comment: This is the longest continuously running Labor Day Parade in America celebrating 122 years!
DECATUR
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade with the theme of “Unity in Community”
Location: Downtown Decatur, line up on South Franklin Street at Wood Street
Time: 8 a.m. lineup, 10 a.m. start
Contact: Jennifer Huckstep or Carl Draper 217-791-1279
Sept. 1 – Picnic In The Park
Location: Fairview Park in Decatur, IL
Time: Immediately following parade until – 3 p.m.
Comment: This is the 2nd annual combined picnic of all labor unions in Macon County, expecting about 1,800 participants. Free to union sponsors, $10 for general public.
Contact: Carl Draper, 217-791-1279
MADISON COUNTY
Alton
Aug. 20th & 23rd – James Stanley Charity Softball game
Contact: Dean Webb, 618-259-8558
Aug. 23rd – Labor Celebration Parade and Picnic- kids games
Location: Parade lineup begins at 8:00 a.m. in the “pit” of the Alton Jr. High School.
Time: Parade starts at 10 a.m. / Picnic –following parade at Gordon Moore Park, Alton, IL on hwy 140.
Contact: Dean Webb, 618-259-8558 or Rick Wieckhorst 618-254-1395
Granite City
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade and Picnic – Live music and petting zoo
Location: Parade lineup begins at 9:00 a.m. in downtown Granite City on State Street between Niedringhaus & 18th Streets and will go to Wilson Park for picnic
Time: Parade starts at 10:00 a.m.
Contact: Dean Webb, 618-259-8558 or Mike Fultz 618-931-7212, cell 618-409-4314
PEORIA
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade with a theme
Location: Parade – Downtown Peoria – Free Bus Rides Provided by ATU Local #416 and Citylink from the Riverfront to downtown Peoria for the parade. Labor Day Party – on the Riverfront at parade’s end. There will be food music and fun for all!
Time: Parade starts at 10 a.m.
Contact: Michael Everett, 309-645-4901
QUAD CITIES
Sept. 1 – 31st Annual Labor Day Parade Celebration
Location: East Moline
Time: Lineup at 9 a.m. at John Deere Harvester Works parking lot at 1100 13th Avenue in East Moline.
Parade starts at 11:00 a.m. and proceeds along 15th Avenue.
Contact: Josh Schipp, 309-738-6536
Website: http://quadcityfed.wordpress.com/labordayparade
QUINCY
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Picnic – food, games, music, door prizes – free to all union members and their families. Expect 800 to 1,000 people.
Location: Machinists Lodge 822, 2929 North 5th Street, Quincy
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., dinner from 12 Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Western Trades & Labor Assembly President Ross Miller at 314-739-6200
Special Request: Each family is asked to bring 1 or more non-perishable food items for charity when attending the picnic.
ROCKFORD
Aug. 30 – Pageant in the categories of Princess, Young Miss, Miss and Mrs. Winners will be crowned immediately following the Labor Day Parade on the main stage.
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade with the theme of “Standing United To Secure Our Future.”
Time: 10:00 a.m., lineup at 9:00 a.m. in downtown Rockford
Special Note: A float contest for the unions will be held at 7:30 a.m. and winners will be announced and ribbons placed on the floats prior to the start of the parade.
Contact: Bill Corey, 815-968-1411, rulpresident@yahoo.com
Sept. 1 – We Are One Picnic – This is an all-union picnic immediately following the parade at Davis Park in downtown Rockford. The picnic will go until 3:00 p.m. Meal tickets are $5 in advance (or $7 at the gate) and beer tickets are $2.50 in advance (or $4 at the gate). This is a family-friendly event with free games and activities for kids! To reserve tickets in advance, contact Trisha Welte at 815-986-4822 or trisha@unitedwayrrv.org.
SPRINGFIELD
Sept. 1 – Labor Day Parade
Location: Downtown Springfield – Jefferson Street to 5th, 5th to Capitol, Capitol to 6th, 6th to Washington
Time: 9 a.m. line-up, 10 a.m. start
Contact: Scott Saunders, 217-725-9794
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Aug. 22 through Sept. 1st – DuQuoin Illinois State Fair
Labor Pavilion will be open each day of the fair and is sponsored by The Egyptian Building Trades
Twilight Parade will be held at 6pm on August 22nd for union members wishing to walk with the Union float
Labor Day Picnic Celebration will be held on September 1st, starting at 11am at the Fairgrounds and will include a free barbeque picnic, and music for union members and their families.
Location of all events will be at the DuQuoin State Fair Grounds – just off Route 51 south side of DuQuoin, IL
Contact for more information: Jason Woolard, 618-932-2102
STREATOR
Sunday, August 31 – Labor Day Parade
Location: Line up at Sante Fe Depot on Illinois Street at 10:30 AM
Time: Parade starts at noon
Contact: Streator Area Chamber of Commerce, sacci@mchsi.com, 815-672-2921
Registration Deadline: August 28, 2014
