Labor Day Parade Continues Tradition

"Can Seymour Butts please come to the stand?"

Dirk R'Kingsley, the emcee of this year's 56th annual Greenbelt Labor Day Parade, kicked off the event with a bit of childish humor in a dry, monotone voice.

He knew his audience well — the streets had to be cleared of dozens of playing children before the parade could start. Parents finally rounded up their kids and returned them to the blankets and chairs lining Crescent Road, and the parade began.

The Greenbelt Labor Day Parade isn't all childish fun though. It's one of the main attractions of the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival, a four-day event put on by one of the nation's largest all-volunteer organizations, the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival Committee. It originally began in 1955 as a way of raising funds to build a youth center, and to this day carries on the same tradition of progressive community service.

Politicians and political candidates appeared in droves to take part in the parade and celebrate the continued growth of the Greenbelt community. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) were among the first in the parade, marched in by the Chesapeake Fife and Drum band and joined by a throng of enthusiastic supporters. They were followed by a slew of dozens of other political candidates, running for offices ranging from clerk to state's attorney to county executive.

Beyond politicians, a number of organizations came to celebrate including the Greenbelt Interfaith Leadership Association, the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Greenbelt Museum, the Prince George's Peace and Justice Coalition and Greenbelt Pride.

Many attendees came to the parade for the strong sense of community it brings.

Frank Gervasi of Greenbelt moved to the area in 1977.

"I've been coming here for 37 years," he said. "There's great music and food, and plenty of people to meet."

The fair serves as a sort of community reunion for Greenbelt residents.

"I've seen people move out to California and come back just for the fair," Gervasi said.

C.C. Lackaye, another Greenbelt resident, appreciates the fair for bringing the community closer together.

"It's one of the few times of year where Greenbelt is really a community," she said.

After the parade, Lackaye volunteered at the fair, giving away donated books to carnival-goers.

The countless people watching the parade came not only to celebrate their community, but to celebrate their families as well. Becky Bruner of Fairfax was driving by and happened on the event.

"[I] didn't even know the fair was here," she said. "I came here to spend time with my son."