Finding Labor Day Fun Without the Labor [EVENTS/LINKS]

So, you've got Labor Day weekend off and you're ready to chill with family and friends. But what's happening in El Paso that weekend? What's open? Actually, more than you might think...

Of course, here in West Texas and Southern New Mexico, Labor Day fun means...

THE KLAQ BBQ!

It's a two-decade Labor Day tradition, held each year at Western Playland. Not only will your ticket get you in to ride all the Western Playland rides, you get some great live music, too! And if you're looking for some awesome food, we'll have plenty of that available in the pavilion.

This year's event promises to have plenty of great slow-cooked BBQ befitting its name. But if good ol' Texas beef ribs or brisket or sweet Memphis-style pork ribs aren't your thing, we'll have plenty of food from other El Paso favorites as well. And you can buy a beer or three to wash it all down!

More than one family has worked up an appetite riding the rides all day, cooling down with a couple of trips on the Splashdown, then heading over to the pavilion for food and drinks and checking out great local and national music acts on the Budweiser concert stage.

We do it all again for 2012 this Sunday, September 2nd, so make plans to spend the day -- and night -- with us. Keep checking in here at KLAQ.com and on-air with KLAQ. We'll have announcements on bands, plus ticket outlets and prices very soon.

HELPFUL LINKS
Western Playland

So, that takes care of your Sunday, but what about Saturday and Monday? There's still plenty else going on in the Sun City.

SPORTS

What a way to start things off for the UTEP Miners!

UTEP opens its season at home against the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners, Saturday, Sept. 1, at 8:30 p.m. MDT. Say what you will, there aren't too many times El Paso gets to see college football teams expected to challenge for a national championship playing against the hometown Miners, so make plans to be there!

Single-game ticket prices for Oklahoma go on sale August 20th and are $25 (general admission), $35 (bronze reserved), $60 (silver reserved) and $70 (gold reserved).

Win or lose, El Paso loves to tailgate at the Sun Bowl, and having a nationally-televised game against a top five program should bring plenty of excitement to the UTEP campus. It promises to be a fun evening of college football, regardless of the outcome.

(Hey, we all hope for the best, but the alternative just means getting a head start on the post-game tailgating!)

HELPFUL LINKS
UTEP Ticket Center
UTEP Football homepage
Oklahoma Football homepage

RECREATION

Believe it or not, there are government workers who will be working that weekend, and no, not just the garbage collectors.

Almost all of El Paso's recreational centers will be open, including the big sports centers at Nations-Tobin Park (8831 Railroad/915.757.2743) and Chalio Acosta Park (4321 Delta/915.534.0254). That includes most of the city's swimming pools, too! Nations-Tobin features indoor soccer and a roller hockey rink, as well as a swimming pool.

All of El Paso's senior centers will be closed, though, so make arrangement to take grandma and grandpa with you, unless they're already concentrating on blowing up the bad guys in "Modern Warfare 3".

For more information, contact El Paso Parks and Recreation at 915.544.0753.

HELPFUL LINKS
El Paso Parks & Rec Labor Day schedule (PDF)
El Paso Parks and Recreation

FESTIVALS

Labor Day weekend is also the traditional kickoff for many church-related festivals throughout the area, and the granddaddy of them all is St. Anthony's Bazaar. There will be food, fun and games galore as St. Anthony's seminarians help stage the 49th version of one of the biggest harvest-season events in El Paso.

A combination of celebration and music runs all Labor Day weekend-long, from noon to 11 p.m. MDT, Saturday, Sept. 1, through Monday, Sept. 3 at St. Anthony's, 4501 Hastings. Although admission is free, be sure to bring cash for rides and food. Also, be prepared to walk a bit in the neighborhood as parking is limited.

HELPFUL LINKS
St. Anthony's Seminary
St. Anthony's Bazaar 2012

THE MOVIES

El Paso loves the movies and Labor Day might be a great time to check out the flicks. Not only will many of the summer blockbusters still be around -- minus the huge crowds -- some new releases that promise to be getting lots of attention start up in the last days of August, including the new Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf true-life crime drama, "Lawless" (Wednesday, August 29), and what might make a good date movie, "The Possession" (Friday, August 31), based on a "true story"

Check these links below for theaters, times and info on the two big movies premiering that weekend.

HELPFUL LINKS
Lawless
The Possession
El Paso theaters and showtimes