What to do around DC during Labor Day

By WTOP Staff
September 2, 2019 | 5:20 AM

The National Zoo features life-size animatronic replicas of various dinos. — The dinosaurs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo leave after Monday, Sept. 2. <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/dino-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more here</a>.

The National Building Museum’s annual Summer Block Party installation returns, and this year’s interactive exhibit celebrates a classic summer pastime: hanging out on a lawn. — This year's "Summer Block Party" installation at the National Building Museum ends Monday, Sept. 2. Catch the interactive exhibit before it's gone forever. <a href="https://www.nbm.org/exhibition/lawn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more here</a>.

The calm before the storm: Empty ticket windows at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. — Go back in time at the <a href="https://rennfest.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maryland Renaissance Festival</a>, which runs from Aug. 24 through the weekends until Oct. 20.

Apples have a number of health benefits. — The end of summer doesn't have to be all sad, because fall brings in some quintessential sounds and flavors. Celebrate the coming of the new season at the <a href="http://greatcountryfarms.com/festivals-events/apple-gala-cider-fest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Gala and Fresh Cider Festival </a>at Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia. And, there a number of towns and parks around the D.C. area that have their own Labor Day festivities. Here's a sampling: — <a href="https://greenbeltlaborday.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greenbelt Labor Day Festival</a>: spans the weekend and includes a parade and carnival games. — <a href="https://tok.md.gov/featured-events/labor-day-parade-and-festival/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kensington Labor Day parade and festival</a>: Catch the start of the parade at 10 a.m. — <a href="https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/special-events/labor-day-parade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaithersburg Labor Day parade</a>: The parade runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2. — <a href="https://www.herndon-va.gov/recreation/special-events/labor-day-festival" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herndon Labor Day Festival</a>: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2, attendees get a chance to taste some Virginia wines and craft beers, and check out some local entertainment. — <a href="https://glenechopark.org/LDAS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo Park</a>: Celebrate, support and admire the work of artists from across the mid-Atlantic region from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

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Celebrate Labor Day, the informal end of summer, with any one of these festivals, ballgames and more happening around the D.C. area.

Don’t forget to take a moment to remember the contributions of American workers who made Monday a holiday. The first Labor Day celebrations happened on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

PHOTOS: ‘Washington Alone’ documents DC sites during the pandemic

By Abigail Constantino
April 30, 2020 | 9:55 PM

Those who live in the D.C. area would normally avoid the monuments on a sunny day during tourist season. But with stay-at-home orders and social distancing in place due to the coronavirus, one D.C. man took the opportunity to capture the iconic sites of the nation's capital, which have taken on a quiet and eerie beauty. Before the stay-at-home orders, lobbyist and consultant Kevin Brennan, would bike to work from his Northwest home to his office at Bluebird Strategies in downtown D.C. The commute was 20 miles round trip.

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