Labor Day 2024: History and facts
Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday of September.
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For many, Labor Day weekend is the time to hit the road for one last hurrah before kids go back to school and we look ahead to fall. But in Arizona, plenty of school kids are already back at their desks, and we still won’t see the usual telltale signs of fall — like cooler weather — until October and November.
Those traveling by car during Labor Day weekend will want to avoid the freeways Friday afternoon and early evening hours, as those times will be the most congested, according to AAA. Drivers will find it preferable to start their road trips in the morning unless they’re leaving on Saturday, when the best time to travel by car is in the afternoon.
Travelers returning home on Sunday and on Labor Day should leave as early as possible to avoid heavy traffic in the afternoon, AAA reported.
“Monitoring traffic apps, local news stations, and 511 traveler information services may help drivers navigate around congestion and reduce driver frustration this Labor Day,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, said in a AAA news release.
Follow coverage from Republic reporters throughout the holiday weekend.
A disabled semitruck backed up traffic on I-17 northbound near Black Canyon City.
Drivers can expect delays and are advised to take alternate routes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
What grocery stores are open on Labor Day?
If you forgot a key ingredient for your Labor Day celebration, these grocery stores will still be open.
Aldi: Stores will be open on Labor Day but will have modified hours. Hours for specific stores can be found using the Aldi store locator on the retailer’s website.
Costco: Will be closed for the holiday, according to the retailer’s website.
Kroger/Fry’s: Stores will operate under regular hours.
Trader Joe’s: The retailer announced in June that it would have special hours in observance of Labor Day. All Trader Joe’s stores will close at 5 p.m.
Whole Foods Market: The retailer will have modified hours for Labor Day. Individuals should check their local store page for more information. Whole Foods has an online store locator tool.
— Raphael Romero Ruiz
Things to do in Arizona for Labor Day
If you haven’t planned your Labor Day activities, there are still some great options for you to consider.
Take a road trip: Arizonans love their road trips. According to a new nationwide Airbnb report, more than half of Airbnb stays booked during Labor Day weekend 2023 were within a 300-mile drive. Stays in Flagstaff, Tucson, Prescott and Sedona proved most popular with metro Phoenix residents. Consider a road trip to a sky island near Tucson, go to a county fair, kayak a lake in the evening or see an Instagram-famous national landmark recently ranked as a more iconic U.S. destination than the Golden Gate Bridge. Flashlight Night at Desert Botanical Garden: Bring your flashlight to Desert Botanical Garden on Saturday, Aug. 31, for an evening of activities, vendors and pop-up experiences for the family. The Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary will be onsite to give visitors a chance to interact with reptiles. Arizona Black Rodeo at WestWorld of Scottsdale: Cowboys and cowgirls from around the country will be at WestWorld of Scottsdale for this year’s Arizona Black Rodeo on Sept. 1-2. The event highlights African American contributions to Arizona’s rodeo history. Events include bull riding, calf roping and barrel racing.
— Republic staff
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno predicted that Saturday’s high will range between 105 and 108 degrees, with lows in the upper 70s on the outskirts of the Phoenix metro area and around 86 degrees in central Phoenix. Monday’s high is expected to be between 104 and 108 degrees, with lows similar to Saturday’s, just one degree higher in central Phoenix.
Salerno also noted that this Labor Day weekend’s temperatures will exceed those from last year, which fell between Saturday, Sept. 2, and Monday, Sept. 4, 2023.
“We were several degrees cooler last year,” Salerno said, explaining the temperatures on Labor Day weekend 2023 were affected by remnants of Hurricane Hilary.
— Jose R. Gonzalez
Though not official until the end of Saturday, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno noted that summer 2024, spanning June through August, is on track to become the hottest summer on record.
“It looks like we will reach that new record for the warmest summer on record,” Salerno said on Saturday morning.
Salerno reported that the Phoenix metro area has experienced an average temperature of 99 degrees this summer, which is two degrees warmer than last summer. By the end of Saturday, the region is expected to match 2023’s record of 55 days with temperatures reaching 110 degrees or higher.
“No end in sight to the 100-degree temperatures,” Salerno said, adding this summer will likely have 100 consecutive days of 100 degrees. “We’re at 96 (days) as of yesterday, which is smashing the previous record of 76 (days in 1993).”
— Jose R. Gonzalez
Saturday’s high temperature was expected to hit about 108 degrees in the Phoenix area, according to the National Weather Service. The chance of afternoon or evening rainshowers or storms was about 20% in the desert, but wind gusts of 35 mph or more were possible, the weather service said.
The low temperature for the last day of August was 88 degrees in Phoenix.
Northern Arizona could see scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening but otherwise should expect near-normal temperatures and light winds. The storms were expected to bring brief heavy rain but could include hail, lightning and winds of 30 mph to 40 mph, the weather service said.
— Staff reports
Travelers heading to the Grand Canyon should expect restrictions on overnight accommodations as two areas of the park recover from flash floods and water supply disruptions.
According to park rangers, hotel and lodging services at the South Rim have been suspended due to multiple breaks in the park’s canyon-wide water supply line.
There will be no overnight lodging at hotels El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Lodging outside the town of Tusayan would not be impacted by park operations, according to Grand Canyon National Park spokesperson Joelle Baird.
Havasupai Falls and stays at nearby Supai Village were suspended until late September after dramatic flooding closed the region and claimed the life of one Gilbert woman as well as leaving more than 100 tribal members and hikers stranded.
— Rey Covarrubias
If you’re not ready for your long holiday weekend to end, there are still a few federal holidays left in 2024.
After Labor Day, these federal holidays are left in 2024:
Monday, Oct. 14 ― Columbus Day.
Monday, Nov. 11 ― Veterans Day.
Thursday, Nov. 28 ― Thanksgiving Day.
Wednesday, Dec. 25 ― Christmas Day.
― Staff reports
The eastbound lanes of Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) were closed earlier near Higley Road, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
At about 7 p.m., the eastbound lanes reopened, according to ADOT.
The closure was due to a crash at milepost 38.
Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, the az511 app (download for Apple or Android devices) or by calling 511.
— Staff reports
Highway patrol officers will be out in force over the Labor Day weekend to assist travelers and manage any accidents that occur.
Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves noted that a heightened police presence can help reduce the number of accidents typically seen during this busy holiday period. In 2023, 18 people lost their lives in 15 separate crashes across the state, with all six fatal incidents involving alcohol, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
“The best strategy for drivers is to travel during off-peak hours, such as early in the morning,” Graves advised.
He also reminded drivers to get ample rest before hitting the road, prioritize safety by staying alert, and avoid driving distracted. Graves emphasized the importance of driving sober, pointing out that rideshare and taxi options are significantly less costly than the consequences of a DUI charge, as noted by the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
— Rey Covarrubias
No major freeway closures or restrictions were expected to affect Arizona highways during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The Arizona Department of Transportation announced that no construction-related closures were scheduled to accommodate the anticipated increase in travel.
ADOT urged drivers to check their car’s tire pressure and engine fluids before hitting the road and to prepare for potential delays and emergencies on busy routes.
While no new closures are planned, existing work zones, such as ADOT’s State Route 89A rockfall mitigation between Flagstaff and Sedona, will remain active.
ADOT also emphasized the importance of safety precautions, noting that 18 lives have been lost on Arizona freeways in 2023, compared to 15 in 2022.
— Rey Covarrubias
As of 4 p.m., isolated thunderstorms had been lingering over the higher terrain in central Arizona, as well as parts of La Paz and Maricopa counties, according to the National Weather Service.
Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., gusty winds from these storms were expected to push into the Valley, although new storm development there was expected to be limited, the NWS reported.
— Coleby Phillips
As of noon on Friday, the eastbound lanes of U.S. 60 at Grand Avenue had reopened, while the westbound lanes remained closed, according to ADOT.
Both directions of U.S. 60 in Phoenix were closed due to law enforcement activity at 35th Avenue earlier Friday, the Arizona Department of Transportation had announced.
Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Mayra Reeson said the closure was related to reports of a shooting early Friday morning, when police reportedly found a man dead underneath the freeway bridge.
Reeson said more information would be available once officers concluded an initial investigation. Homicide detectives were at the scene.
Just before 8 p.m., ADOT said the eastbound lanes were reopened and traffic on the U.S. 60 was back to normal.
Real-time traffic updates are available on ADOT’s website and the AZ511 app.
— Coleby Phillips
Labor Day is actually older than the 1894 act by Congress. The holiday has a longer history, beginning about 12 years earlier in New York. On Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City the first Labor Day celebration was held.
This first celebration was held at a time when conditions for workers were far from where they are now. In the late 1800s, Americans worked 12 hours a day, including weekends, and children worked alongside their parents in the mines and factories of the day.
The first celebration was also a sort of one-day strike, with workers asking for better pay and shorter hours. These demands from the labor movement eventually gave us the eight-hour workday and five-day workweek.
Although New York had held an unofficial Labor Day celebration in 1882, almost five years later, Oregon was the first state to declare it an official holiday with Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York following suit.
By 1894, when Labor Day was declared a national holiday by President Grover Cleveland, 23 states had already adopted the holiday.
— Republic staff
If your Labor Day plans include a road trip or even a drive across town, here’s how you can save money on gas.
Gasbuddy.com shows local gas station prices online or on its app and tells you where to find the cheapest.
Geico.com is another source, with their search for “local gas prices.” You can take advantage of this service whether or not you’re a customer of the insurer.
You can also search local gas prices on Google Maps and Waze, which also offers tips on carpooling. Mapquest has a gasoline icon that you can tap to see prices in your area.
Driving habits like going slower on highways, using cruise control if you have it, and accelerating and braking gradually can improve fuel economy.
Keeping your tires properly inflated, replacing dirty air filters, removing excess cargo from your vehicle, making sure the gasoline cap is on tight and reducing idling, if possible, can all help you save some gas.
Use gas rewards programs. Circle K Easy Pay, grocery store discount programs, or using a GasBuddy gas savings card are some of the most popular options. Fry’s Food Store customers can redeem points at Fry’s or participating Shell gas stations. A similar program is offered at Albertsons and Safeway stores in Arizona, where rewards can be redeemed for savings at Safeway, Chevron and Texaco gas stations.
— Laura Daniella Sepulveda
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Publish date : 2024-08-31 11:26:00
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