Get Ready To Party In Hamtown
By Ian Perrotta
Review Special Writer
Don’t work too hard trying to figure out how to spend the upcoming holiday weekend—the city will be hosting its 29th Annual Hamtramck Labor Day Festival.
All the fun happens on Jos. Campau between Caniff and Carpenter and starts Friday Sept. 4.
As in years past, there will be plenty of activities for everyone. For the youngsters, there will be carnival rides, games and other entertainment. For the older crowd, two stages will play host to a plethora of musical acts, including New York-based Ra Ra Riot, festival mainstay The Polish Muslims, and 1950s rockabilly legend Jack Scott. For anyone 21 or older, a number of beer tents will be serving up your favorite suds.
Additionally, dozens of vendors will offer a variety of items for purchase. Diverse ethnic foods, regional specialties, and the usual carnival trinkets will all be available.
Don’t feel like shopping?
On Sunday Sept. 6 there will be an all-class Hamtramck High School reunion, and the Monday will feature the Polish Day Parade.
The celebration is not just of the national holiday, but of the international diversity of Hamtramck as well. The city is Michigan’s most ethnically diverse and has many multicultural offerings. Because the festival is a regional favorite, the event provides ample opportunity to showcase Hamtramck’s best qualities.
“Over the years, with the changing ethnic make-up of the city, the festival has evolved as well,” says Eve Doster Knepp, Events Coordinator for the City of Hamtramck, “the festival is a cross-section our ethnic diversity, and is a great way to show that Hamtramck is not just a Polish city, but an international city as well.”
The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is a free family-friendly event open to the public.
