Fond du Lac

On September 7th, the annual Fond du Lac Labor Day Parade will take place. Local 494 will meet for the march from 10:00 AM-10:30 AM, at the Fives (formerly Giddings and Lewis) south parking lot: 142 Doty Street, Fond du Lac. Local 494 T-shirts will be provided for all who participate in the march. 

Local 494 members, you are welcome to speak to your contractor about including their company vehicles in the parade to drive with us as we march. If you have any questions, please reach out to Business Representative Bob Weber: bob@ibew494.com or 414-412-3433.

Milwaukee

On Monday, September 7th, Local 494 will be celebrating the Labor Day holiday at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council's Laborfest celebration.

For any additional information that may not be covered below, you can visit the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) website, visit the Laborfest event page on Facebook or give them a call at (414) 771-7070.

LABORFEST VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Laborfest raffle tickets can be purchased at the Hall, the deadline for entry is September 3rd. Grand Prize is $5,000!

The maps below reflect the parade route and the line up:

1a. Harley Riders: Please line up in 1a with the other riders, not with us in the LU 494 area.
2a. Classic Cars
3a. Color Guard

• T-shirts and food/drink tickets (cards) will be handed out at the parade march line-up. Each person attending will receive $20 in tickets (cards). In addition, if there are any remaining, Local Union Reps will bring them to Laborfest and share them with members who get in touch with them on the Summerfest grounds.
• It is highly recommended that you park on the Summerfest grounds (Lots H and P) and utilize the MCTS bus shuttles to arrive at the parade march. There is no provided transportation back to Zeidler Square from the Summerfest grounds after Laborfest concludes. 
• For folks who would like to attend the line-up prior to the march, but would prefer not to walk, there will be Milwaukee County Transit buses picking folks up to take them back to the Summerfest grounds to enjoy the festivities at the South-East corner of 4^th St. (N Vel R. Phillips Ave & Wisconsin Ave)
• The MALC Sock Drive kicks off at Laborfest. Bring your new and unopened socks to be donated!

Take note of all the important times on this day to ensure you don't miss the parade start:

• 7:30 AM - Bus shuttles begin from Summerfest.
  • Buses will run as long as they are able but there is no set end time, so arrive early. (park in Lots H and P and look for the MCTS buses for pick-up)
• 9-9:30 AM - Unions start to line-up
• 11 AM - Parade to Summerfest grounds begins
• 11-4 PM - Laborfest at the Summerfest grounds takes place

Parking and Buses

Below are the lots for parking and the locations where the bus shuttles will be picking up from for the parade march. The shuttles start at 7:30 AM.

Parade March MCTS Shuttle Drop-off and Mobility Assistance Pick-up

For folks who may have mobility concerns, but still would like to attend the line-up for the parade, once the parade has started, the MCTS shuttle buses will be last to go in the parade and will pick folks up at the South-East corner of 4^th St. (N Vel R. Phillips Ave) & Wisconsin Ave and take them to the Summerfest grounds to enjoy the Laborfest festivities. 

Colectivo Coffee Workers

Morning coffee will be available to folks in Zeidler Square prior to the parade starting. Colectivo Coffee Workers will staff the coffee station with IBEW Union-made coffee donated by Colectivo Coffee Roasters, along with Teamsters Local 344 Entenmann's donuts. So make sure you stop by and enjoy a Union-made coffee and donut!

Laborfest Security

The Summerfest grounds now require all events on the grounds to utilize metal detectors and undergo a bag check upon entry into the festival. Please see the list below of all items that should be left at home for both the parade march and the festival. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Milwaukee Area Labor Council at (414) 771-7070. 

Laborfest Cruise and Car Show

The deadline to register is August 21, 2026!