Labor Day: Things to do and things you can’t in Minn.

Published 10:05 pm Friday, August 31, 2018

By Minnesota Public Radio News

Monday is Labor Day.

A day set aside to honor the workers of today and those who worked hard to enact labor laws protecting workers in the United States.

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If you have this long weekend off, there’s a lot of things you can do to celebrate:

• There’s still a few days left to attend the Minnesota State Fair, and Labor Day is your last chance.

• The Mall of America is open if you want to get some shopping done — typically on Labor Day mattresses, furniture and tech go on sale.

• Both the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Minnesota Children’s Museum are open, with special deals and events going on at each museum.

• City parking meters are not enforced in St. Paul or Minneapolis on Monday so you can park and take a stroll downtown, for free.

• Go out and enjoy Minnesota nature while it’s still warm enough to do it without wearing five layers. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a great radio specials using your phone or computer — (wink wink.)

Seeing as it is a federal holiday, though, there are also some things you will not be able to do.

• Government offices like the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation and Department of Education are closed — that also means schools are closed.

• Labor Day also affects some bus and light rail routes in the Twin Cities. All buses along with the Green, Blue and Red Lines will operate on adjusted schedules. The Northstar trains won’t be running at all.

• Libraries, banks and post offices are also all closed on Labor Day. Mail is not delivered.

• Possibly, the restaurant or store you want to go to. It’s fairly common for employers to give their employees the day off so check online or call before you head out.