Labor Day in Brooklyn

Without a doubt, the most popular Labor Day event in Brooklyn this year will be the annual West Indian-American Day Parade. The six-hour extravaganza will be filled with thousands of costumed revelers dressed in brightly-colored hues, all sorts of music and dancing, and plenty of delicious Caribbean treats to keep you going strong all day long. The parade will last from 11am to 6pm and will begin at the corner of Rochester Avenue and Eastern Parkway (ending near Grand Army Plaza).

If the traditional West Indian-American Day Parade isn't exciting enough (!) for you, then you might want to catch the parade's prelude, the pre-dawn procession called J'Ouvert Parade. This celebration will include steel drum music performances and various masquerade bands. The J'Ouvert Parade will begin at 2am on Labor Day at Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Avenue and will end just before the Labor Day Parade starts at 11am.

Those with a fear of crowds might fare better in Fort Greene, where the Brooklyn Public Library is joining forces with Habana Outpost for a kid- and adult-friendly "Back to School Bash" on Labor Day. There will be dancing, face painting, eco-friendly crafts, frozen mojitos for adults, Cuban food, a DJ, and more at this free all-day party. The event will take place at Habana Outpost (757 Fulton Street in Fort Greene) from 12pm to 5pm.

RSVP now to be a part of Beats & BBQ, a Labor Day celebration of dance music and good food. The Williamsburg event, held at Art Land Bar (609 Grand Street) from 4pm to 10pm, will include music from Ali Coleman, Siren, Sakaki, Starchilde, and more. Plus, there'll be as much BBQ as you can eat!

In celebration of Bargemusic's 30th anniversary, the floating concert hall is hosting three nights of special Labor Day programming. The shows, which run on August 29 at 8pm, August 30 at 8pm, and August 31 at 4pm, will feature classical music commissioned by Bargemusic. Tickets are $40 ($15 for students). For reservations, call (718) 624-2083 or (718) 624-4061.