Labor Day Celebrations in the Big Apple, 2023

This year Labor Day falls on Monday, September 4, 2023. Labor Day has a special relationship with New York City, as the first Labor Day was organized by the Central Labor Union of New York in 1882. The day celebrates the work and the sacrifices of everyday Americans whose efforts have made the nation great. It’s also a day to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. We have a fantastic round up of a few ways to spend the long weekend.

The official Labor Day Parade is a great way to celebrate the city and the workers who make it such an amazing place, past and present. More than 200 unions and constituency groups will be marching along Fifth Avenue, celebrating workers contributions, rights and progress. This year’s theme We Organize, We Rise, is a tribute to the many new forms of activism that have arisen in the past year. The Labor Day parade will take place the weekend after the actual day, on September 9.

When: Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 10am.

Where: Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 64th Street.

After closing its doors for the past three months, the elegant and timeless Neue Galerie New York is reopening on September 1, 2023. Housed in an elegant mansion on the Upper East Side, this gallery offers visitors an up close and personal looks at works from early 20th century Austrian and German painters that include: Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Alfred Kubin, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Emil Nolde, Vasily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Gabriele Münter, Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Christian Schad, George Grosz, and Paul Klee. Built in 1914, the home, with its original marble and ornate details, is a designated landmark and one of the most arresting buildings on Fifth Avenue. From Sept 1 – October 2, the gallery is offering reduced admission.

The Neue Gallery

1048 5th Ave

New York, NY 10028

Get out your party dress, because you’re going to want to look the part as you head out to the West Indian Day Parade. The countries of the West Indies take the spectacle and pomp of the parade seriously— some spend the entire year creating bejeweled and feathered costumes to wear atop floats! The procession is a celebration of the heritage and history of Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and Grenada, Guyana, Suriname and Belize, among others. Get ready for Caribbean political references, steel drums and even colorful paint tossing. Food vendors will also sell typical Caribbean foods that you won’t want to miss out on.

When: Monday, September 4, 2023 at 11am

Where: The parade will start at Schenectady Avenue and finish at Grand Army Plaza.

This is the moment for the single wheel to shine! This weekend, the NYC Unicycle Festival is celebrating the solo wheel and its riders with several diverse rides. Things get off to start on Thursday, August 31. Unicyclists will meet up in Battery Park and ride the West Side before ending with a loop through Central Park. The following day (Friday), September 1, Brooklyn Unicycle Day is expected to draw a large crowd for a big group ride over the Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island— that’s more than 13 miles— on one wheel! The main event is on Saturday, September 2 in Queens at the Seven Gables Playground (210 Street & Oceania Street). Here you can really dive into the unicycle fun by learning to ride and participating in games, workshops and more. Plus, there’s a ride on the Cunningham Park Mountain Cycle Path. For the full schedule, see the NYC Unifest website.

If you needed an excuse to head out to Coney Island, we’ve got one for you! Fridays through Labor Day weekend the beach puts on a spectacular fireworks display and Labor Day Weekend is no exception! The Alliance for Coney Island presents Friday Night Fireworks each week at the Riegelmann Boardwalk and West 12th Street. Grab a pal or the family and head out to catch some of the last rays of summer sunshine and beach time before the show. Recommended viewing is at Luna Park or from Deon’s Wonder Wheel. The free display will begin around sunset, 8:30pm.

The Lombardy Hotel’s timeless elegance is iconic to Midtown Manhattan. Our rooms are spacious, comfortable and thoughtfully designed to make you feel at home. We look forward to hosting you on your next visit to New York City.

*Due to Covid-19 our restaurant, cafe and gym will remain closed for a time.