Graettinger, Iowa (RI) — The northwest Iowa town of Graettinger is hosting its 130th Labor Day celebration, starting Friday and running through the weekend — Iowa’s oldest such festival.
Event chairman Phillip Schmitt says the annual community bash brings together family, friends, and former residents who return to continue the long-standing tradition, which started in Graettinger in 1896.
The highlight of the Labor Day celebration — and the longest-running tradition — is the parade held down Main Street on Monday afternoon, starting at 1:45. Other events through the weekend include golf and bags tournaments, garage and bake sales, and a popular dunk tank.
Schmitt says organizing an event of this magnitude requires extensive planning.
For more details, visit the Graettinger Labor Day page on Facebook.
Meanwhile, there are at least two other festivals going on in northwest Iowa this weekend, including Sheldon Celebration Days and Hawarden’s Big Sioux River Days.
