Visitors could hear the laughter before they saw the 25-foot-tall climbing wall towering over the downtown plaza.
The second annual Labor Daze Fest, hosted at Bo Diddley Community Plaza, drew a crowd of about 2,000 people to celebrate the Labor Day weekend, said event organizer Trisha Ingle. The event showcased progressive groups and city vendors alongside community organizers who focused on services for the working class.
Across the plaza, girls no older than 6 years old cartwheeled in the stubby grass while Occupy Gainesville members sat nearby fanning themselves with clipboards.
Students for a Democratic Society was stationed near a potted-plant vendor, and an Obama for America tent sat next to a Hula-Hoop seller.
Jose Soto, president of UF’s Graduate Assistants United, said this year’s festival was bigger and better than the last.
“Last year, it was half of what you see here,” the UF food and resource economics Ph.D. student said. “It’s been an exponential growth.”
He said the success stemmed from Ingle and her husband. They established the festival last year to unify the county’s various progressive groups in a fun way.
This year, Ingle felt the Labor Day celebration encompassed her original goal.
“We covered all of the bases,” she said. “We can celebrate the working people at the same time in the same place.”
Ingle wasn’t the only person thrilled with the event’s success.
Lisa Labbe, 50, smiled behind the Gainesville Area Chapter of the National Organization for Women tent. She said she collected more than two full pages of email addresses from interested attendants and was happy to reach out to the working community.
“I loved getting to talk to everyone about issues that are important to me,” Labbe said.
Contact Shelby Webb at swebb@alligator.org.
Angel Gabrial, left, a teacher for the UF club Objects in Motion, gives Jason Winfrey, 7, some tips on juggling during a Labor Day festival at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza on Sunday night.
