The Carlton County Central Labor Body will hold five days of events during its 86th Annual Labor Day Celebration, starting Thursday, Sept. 1, and running through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.

The celebration begins with a Carnival to be held in Dunlap Island Park in Cloquet on Thursday and runs daily through Labor Day. The carnival will be open from 4 p.m. to about 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from noon to about 11 p.m. Saturday through Monday.

The carnival will again feature a midway produced by Rogers Brothers Funland Shows. As in past years, there will be a number of wristband timeblocks during which carnival goers can ride unlimited rides during the time for which the wristband is purchased. Tickets for wristbands will be on sale at the gate for $15.

Wristbands will be able to be used for one time only during one of the following timeblocks:

Thursday, Sept. 1-- 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2 -- 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3 -- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3-- 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 4 -- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 4 -- 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a Softball Tournament held at Pinehurst Park in Cloquet. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. each day and runs throughout the day. Concessions will be available at the park. For more information call Steve Martin at 218-879-3094.

Sunday brings the traditional Retiree Banquet (formerly known as the Old Timer's Banquet) beginning at 11 a.m. in the upstairs hall of the Cloquet Labor Temple located at 1403 Avenue C. This banquet features a free dinner for any retired area resident. Any retired area resident is welcome to attend. Music prior to the dinner will be provided by Jerry Haller. After dinner a drawing will be held for a number of door prizes, and the oldest man, oldest woman, and longest-married couple will be recognized. As always, seating is limited to the capacity of the hall.

Also on Sunday, there will be a fireworks display held at Veteran's Park in Cloquet beginning at 9 p.m. As a reminder to people, the fireworks are on Sunday night, not Monday as in years past when fireworks were held on Labor Day evening. In case of rain or fog, the fireworks display will be held at 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5.

The celebration continues on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, starting at 11 a.m. with the annual Labor Day Parade. The parade route again this year will follow the usual Cloquet Avenue parade route, starting at 18th Street and Cloquet Avenue and ending at 8th Street and Cloquet Avenue. As always, the parade will feature marching bands, floats, and many community and area organizations. To enter a unit in the parade or for more information, call the Cloquet Fire Hall at 218-879-6514.

The festivities conclude on Monday with a free picnic lunch to be held immediately following the parade in the upstairs hall of the Cloquet Labor Temple. This lunch is free and open to the public.

A significant change from recent past Labor Day Celebrations is that there will not be a Horseshoe Tournament this year. The Central Labor Body reluctantly canceled the tournament due to low turnout at the past few tournaments. Organizers would like to thank the throwers that participated in the past years and we hope that they had an enjoyable experience.

One other notable change is that the Carnival will be held at Dunlap Island Park rather than Veteran's Park. This change was made at the request of the City of Cloquet. We are confident that those attending the carnival will enjoy using the new location.

Labor Day buttons will be available at many of the events for the cost of only $1. Button sales help in defraying the cost of the many events, so please help by buying a button!

For more information about the celebration or its events, call Carlton County Central Labor Body President and Chair of the Labor Day Celebration Bob Oswold at 218-879-9242, or Labor Day Celebration Publicity Chair Tom Beltt at 218-879-7148.