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Labor Day weekend activities to include parade, live music 

By Dillan Combs

Sun Reporter

Winchester’s Labor Day Festival – an annual city event in 1904, was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. Now the Labor Day Committee is once again presenting the celebration at Heritage Park and on Main Street.

Titled and stylized as “Reunited and it feels so good,” this year’s Labor Day Festival is a four-day celebration beginning Friday, Sept. 3 and ending Monday, Sept. 6. Clark County community is invited to experience live music, games and a parade down, all free of charge. Vendors will also be present to offer concessions, refreshments, crafts and other goods. 

“We’re so happy to be back,” said Ann Carter, president of the Winchester Labor Day Committee. “I think everyone is ready to get out there and have fun after being cooped up in their homes for so long.”

Events and activities will be housed at Heritage Park from Friday through Sunday. The celebration will move downtown that following Monday. 

DJ Snookey is kicking off the celebration at 8 p.m. on Friday, accompanied by free glowsticks. Catering company Rolling Video Games of the Bluegrass will bring their “gaming truck,” a vehicle with six televisions and the latest games on consoles such as the Playstation 5, Xbox Series X and the Nintendo Switch. 

DJ Snookey and the gaming truck will return to Heritage Park at 4 p.m. that Saturday. Tagging along will be inflatables, refreshments and the “Lawn Chair Concert.” Beginning at 8 that night with a performance from Lexington’s One Sound dance band, Heritage park attendees are encourage to bring their lawn chairs to enjoy the night’s performances. Following One Sound will be DJ KY Hypnotiqs, beginning midnight. 

From 3-5 p.m. on Sunday will be a Labor Day Gospel, with the Lawn Chair Concert resuming at 7 p.m. ENCORE of Lexington will take the stage, offering a wide variety of jazz and soulful music that “transcends age.” DJ KY Hypnotiqs will once more provide music for the celebration’s midnight shift. 

Finally, Monday, Sept. 6 the celebration moves to Main Street Winchester, with street speakers rocked by “feel-good” music. At 11 a.m., the Labor Day Queen will be named and crowned, with the Labor Day Parade featuring the K State Marching Band capping off the celebration at noon.

The Labor Day committee strongly encourages those in attendance to wear masks, given the second wave of Covid infections. The committee is looking for high school students entering their junior or senior years to enter the Labor Day Queen competition. Those interested in competing can contact Labor Day Committee vice president Sherry Hampton at (859) 749-9782.

For more information regarding this year’s Labor Day Festival, search “Winchester Labor Day Celebration and Parade” on Facebook to find the committee’s Facebook page.