Labor Day — Holiday
Labor Day is an American holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September. The holiday honors American workers and their contributions and achievements. The three-day weekend is also unofficially considered the end of summer.
Outside of parties and cookouts, if you're looking for another way to celebrate Labor Day, the Indy LaborFest will be held on Saturday on Monument Circle. It's free, family-friendly, and features a Kids Zone, food trucks, a cornhole tournament, union trade career opportunities, and beer. Event organizers anticipate around 20,000 people to participate in the LaborFest, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
First Friday — Art
The First Friday of September is here, which means there is plenty of free local art, entertainment, and community events to enjoy in the city.
At the Circle City Industrial Complex, 100 artists display their work in more than 20 gallery spaces. First Friday roamers can peruse the 500,000-square-foot building from 6 to 9 p.m. There will also be live music in the Art Cafe.
From 6 to 9 p.m., check out six new exhibits at the Harrison Center, then head down to The Athenaeum on Mass Ave to see its ArtSpace gallery.
In Fountain Square, The Murphy Arts building will be packed with art, antiques, music, and locally-made products by artisans from 6 to 10 p.m. Walk over to HI-FI for two free shows. One is family-friendly at its outdoor venue, HI-FI Annex, featuring The Brother's Footman at 7 p.m. The second show is 21-and-over inside HI-FI at 9 p.m. featuring PONCE with Spring Term.
Starting at 9 p.m., the First Friday After Party starts with a night of jazz music at McGowan Hall. A $6 donation, or tip, is asked to be given to the band to keep the music going.
BUTTER — Art
After a successful first year, GANGGANG's "BUTTER," a fine art fair showcasing artwork by Black artists, returns.
BUTTER 2 will take place at the south end of The Stutz building in downtown Indianapolis, located on 10th Street between Senate Avenue and Capitol Avenue, throughout Labor Day Weekend.
The multi-day fair will include a showcasing of artwork by more than 50 Black artists from across the country, including April Bey, Kiah Celeste, Julian Jamaal Jones, and Will Watson. There will be more than 10 live performances during the fair, including a set by the hip hop group 81355, some spins by Deckademics and DJ Grapevine, and a drum performance by Dorian Phelps.
Three-day general admission tickets are $35, Preview Night tickets are $175, and children 18 and younger are free.
MORE: Everything you need to know for the BUTTER 2 Fine Art Fair
All IN Music Festival — Music
TheAll IN Music and Arts Festival is on Saturday and Sunday. There will be three entertainment stages at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, plus food trucks and drinks.
The headliners include performers like Daryl Hall & John Oates, John Fogerty, and the Four Tops, alongside contemporary hitmakers like Portugal The Man, Cage The Elephant, and Death Cab for Cutie.
Two-day general admission tickets are $199.50, and one-day general admission tickets are $119.50. There are also VIP and kids' ticket options.
MORE: Closing out the summer by going 'All-IN'
Concerts in the City — Festival
There are plenty of live music options this weekend.
Catch the Rob Dixon Trio & The Organ-Nizers at 10 East Arts Hub at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The Ultimate Doors pay tribute to The Door with Papa Warfleigh's Funk Revival at HI-FI Annex.
The Back 9 Music Pavilion will have performances by Glamerica on Friday and Tastes Like Chicken on Saturday. Both sets will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Pitbull will perform at Ruoff Music Center up in Noblesville if you're up for a drive.
And at The Jazz Kitchen, you can catch its free Labor Day Street Fairon Monday in partnership with its neighbor, Yats. The lineup includes Brenda Williams, Wendy Reedy, Yvonee Allu, Sandy Lomaz, Rob Dixon & Triology, and DJ Rusty Redenbacher. Throughout the weekend, you can also catch performances by Dave Linard and Charlie Ballantine.
$3 Movie Tickets — Movie
It's National Cinema Day on Saturday, and many movie theatres offer $3 admissions, such as AMC and Cinemark.
National Cinema Day celebrates a summer of record-breaking moviegoing, according to the Cinema Foundation, with movies and special sneak peeks of upcoming titles from A24, Amazon Studios, Disney, Focus Features, Lionsgate, Neon, Paramount, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony, United Artists Releasing, Universal, and Warner Bros.
Cinemark theatres are also offering $3 medium fountain beverages, $3 candy, and $3 small popcorn.
To find a local theater participating in the $3 movie day, click here.
Inside Indy: Events | Places | Food
WRTV Digital Reporter Shakkira Harris can be reached at shakkira.harris@wrtv.com. You can follow her on Twitter, @shakkirasays.
