Another fabulous Labor Day Festival has come and gone and here are just a few highlights – for this blogger.

Someone told me that the PTA’s Book Sale is where Greenbelt’s intellectuals hang out, so I stopped by to see the crowd at the very beginning of the sale, Friday evening.  I mingled, bought some vintage gardening books, and tried to look like I belonged. I’m told the final few hours of the book sale are also popular, thanks to last-minute price reductions.

Saturday morning saw humans and animals gathering for the Kids’ Pet Show. Above left is Pepe (owner’s name unknown) and the rescue boxer beloved by the family of Joe Gareri and Holly Wheeler (shown).

These gorgeous puppies are on their way to being well-trained by their (another unnamed) owner.

Jumping to Labor Day and the big parade, here’s our new Citizen of the Year, Kathleen McFarland, whose entire family seems to have returned to Greenbelt for the event.  I love the proud “Our Mom” sign.

Center Ring Circus School is always fun to watch.

The spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt is always with us, but especially when someone dresses up and acts the part (left).  Other ’30s reenactors shown are Sheila Maffay-Tuthill and Sandy Lange, for Greenbelt Museum.

More great costumes from these folks dressed as insects. I’m not sure what they’re marching for, but count me in!

With all the ideas floating around for new Greenbelt cooperatives, it’s great to see them marching together to raise our awareness of what’s incubating.

Whatever this large moving thing is, it’s powered by two bicyclists and looks like fun.  And btw, I love Club 125’s new name – Greenbelt Makerspace.

I’ll finish with some political photos, first of officeholders in our parade.  Above from left are Democratic gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown, the long-serving, ever-handsome Rep. Steny Hoyer, and Democratic candidate for Attorney General Brian Frosh.

Here’s Senator Ben Cardin shaking hands with a suspected Republican.

And to round out our immersion in retail politics – politics at the most local level – is the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club’s lemonade-and-funnel-cake booth. On the left is Katy Pape getting a good laugh – she’s the one who recruited me to volunteer at the booth – and on the right I’m having fun mixing and shaking lemonades for the hot-and-thirsty hoards, pretending I’m the Tom Cruise character in “Cocktail.”

It was a wonderful Labor Day Festival, my third since moving here. A round of applause for everyone who made it happen.