Labor Day weekend. I grew up where those words meant that on that day we’d all pile into the car headed to a big picnic sponsored by my Dad’s union, or by the local Labor Council. There were tons of people there, most of whom I’d never seen before. There were folks of every color, every religion, every ethnicity, every age. The retirees were always gathered around a set of tables, chewing on their barbeque while chewing on their memories. The children of the workers ran around playing ball or tag, or taking part in sack or relay races. The workers and their spouses just relaxed, reveling in a day where they didn’t have to cook or worry about where their kids were. The air was filled with the smoke from the barbeques and redolent with the smell of beans on the stove.
Labor Day was created to celebrate the strength of American labor, and to provide for the recreation and amusement of workers and their families. So on this day, take a moment to think and to appreciate. If you’re a working person, appreciate the necessity of what you do to help, and pat yourself on the back. If you’re someone who hires people to mow your lawn or paint your house, to tend your children or watch your pets, basically, just to make your life easier and better, show some respect. You can add to it by attending a rally at Five Corners at 11 am on Labor Day — it’s to honor “Workers Over Billionaires.”
Last week I announced a Silent Disco that had been planned to be held at the Gay Head Light. Wind and weather meant that it didn’t happen. However, on Friday, Sept. 5, this crazy fun will happen on the beach at Owen Park in Vineyard Haven from 8:30 to 10:30 pm. I don’t know when the fun will happen at the lighthouse, but you can contact Pathways Arts to find out.
If you don’t want to wait to dance, on Friday, August 29, join the Vineyard Preservation Trust for a Contradance at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. They promise an evening of lively music, joyful dancing, and community spirit. Come with a partner, a group of friends, or on your own, and join in the fun. Music will be performed live by the Flying Elbows, with expert caller Don Heinold there to guide dancers of all experience (or nonexperience) levels. Admission is by donation, but it is a fundraiser to help support the continued restoration of the Grange Hall.
The Aquinnah Library Book Group meets on Saturday, August 30, at 2:30 pm. This month it is to discuss Joseph Lee’s book “Nothing More of This Land.” If you haven’t read it yet, you should. It is thoughtful, thought-provoking, well-written, and beautifully researched, and it has much to say about Aquinnah life and history.
The annual Aquinnah Wampanoag Powwow is scheduled for Sept. 6 and 7 at the Aquinnah Circle. This celebration of culture is a reunion for many, and always filled with drumming and dance, art and craft by indigenous vendors, delicious food, and storytelling. Admission for tribal members is free, with tribal ID. Admission for adults is $10 for one day or $15 for both days, seniors (65-plus), and veterans pay $5 for one day and $7.50 for two. Children (13 and under) are admitted free. Gates open at 11 am, with the Grand Entry at noon. This year, the Powwow is held to honor and remember Metacom’s War.
Two birthdays to celebrate this week. On August 31, Todd Vanderhoop celebrates, and then, on Sept. 3, it is Kuhpay Vanderhoop whose birthday takes the cake.
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