This year, Jamestown families can find great ways to celebrate the Labor Day holiday right in their backyard.
The 2008 Labor Day Festival will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday in Bergman Park off Baker Street Extension.
Bonnie Magers, the city's deputy director of parks and recreation, said Monday the city holds its Labor Day Festival each year because ''it's important to honor the working folks in this community.''
Article Photos
The 2008 Labor Day Festival will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday in Bergman Park off Baker Street Extension.
P-J file photo
''We always have a fantastic turnout,'' Magers said. ''The park is always packed full. People crowd the two huge softball fields and it's literally wall-to-wall people. It's probably the biggest event the city puts on ever year.''
At 9:30 a.m., the Dan Feather Memorial 5K Run/Walk, held by the Chautauqua Striders, will get under way. Music attractions at the main stage will begin at 1 p.m. and run through 8:30 p.m. From 1 to 2:30 p.m., Razz and Friends will perform, followed by the Jamestown Harmony Express Barbershop Chorus, who will perform between 2:30 and 3 p.m.
Between 3 and 4 p.m., the Folksters will perform, followed by a presentation of the George Ritzer Labor Day Award between 4 and 4:30 p.m.
Infinity Performing Arts will put on a program between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. and Richie Leeper & Soul Revival will perform until 8:30 p.m.
Also throughout the day, a number of events for children will be held. Children's activities include Magician Mike Baron, Harvey the Balloon Man, Bingo, face painting, games and inflatable toys. There will also be a landing by Starflight, a horseshoe tournament and karaoke. Parents can also take their children to participate in the Masonic Child ID program while at the festival.
An arts and crafts show will run between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Food items at the festival will include chicken barbecue, hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, Sno-Cones, pasta, curly fries, pizza, nachos, ice cream, cotton candy, candy apples and a variety of baked goods.
The festival's fireworks extravaganza, which typically lasts about 20 minutes, will begin at 8:30 p.m.
''We've had estimates in the past that 12,000 to 15,000 people attend our fireworks extravaganza,'' she said. ''It's just amazing.''
The C.A.R.T.S. bus service will be available from 3 to 11 p.m.
Buses depart on the hour and half-hour beginning at the Senior Citizen High Rise on Fifth Street, Covenant Manor on Third Street, Carlson Towers on North Main Street, Anderson's Towers on Crane Street and Jamestown Cycle Shop.
Buses depart Bergman Park each quarter-of and quarter-after the hour.
Parking is $3 per vehicle.
Alcoholic beverages, bicycles, roller blades and pets are prohibited at the festival.
LIGHT THE LAKES
Those who attend the city's Labor Day Festival will be able to stay for the fireworks display and make it to Chautauqua Lake in plenty of time to see this year's Light the Lakes.
The largest fireworks display in North America, astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station will be able to see the display.
Light the Lakes will take place at 10:10 p.m. Sunday. Spectators will be able to watch the display from nearly anywhere on Chautauqua Lake. Locations for ''take off'' include Bemus Point, Findley Lake, Jamestown, Lakewood, Mayville and Chautauqua, Midway State Park and Westfield.
At each ''take-off" location, the fireworks will run simultaneously to a live music broadcast via radio feed. There will also be a live television feed broadcast from an airplane as the fireworks display takes place.
For more information on the Light the Lakes Celebration, visit www.ilovenylakes.com.
OTHER EVENTS
Labor Day Weekend Countywide Yard Sale: Aug. 30-Sept. 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cross Roads Farm & Craft Market, County Road 21 in Westfield. Setup is free Saturday and Monday. Call 326-6278 for information.
Bemus Bay Pops Labor Day Finale: Aug. 29-31 at the Floating Stage in Bemus Point. On Friday at 6:30 p.m., the Eastman School of Music will present a Bionic Bones concert with Jon Marcellus and special guest Mike Davis, the trombonist for the Rolling Stones. On Saturday at 6:30 p.m., the Big Pops Finale will be held along with fireworks and a symphony orchestra. On Sunday at 8 p.m., ''Abba Mania'' will be held. The event will close with the Light the Lakes fireworks display.