For those who choose not to suffer the multiple indignities of holiday weekend traffic to beaches and lakes, Montgomery County offers special big art shows and fun parades during Labor Day weekend.

Here are the details.

ART SHOWS IN KENSINGTON AND GLEN ECHO

Kensington “Paint the Town” Labor Day Weekend Art Show

Date/Time: Aug. 31 to Sept. 2: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 9:30 a.m.to 5:30 p.m. Monday

Awards reception and meet the artists (open to the public): 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday

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Live Demonstrations by Artists: noon to 1 p.m., 2 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 11 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m. Monday. For specific artist schedule, visit https://montgomeryart.org/News/7824750.

Plein Air Event (artists set up easels around town and paint):

About 400 works in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, mixed media and sculpture by 136 Montgomery Art Association member artists will be on display and for sale.

Local artist and art teacher Glen Kessler will award prizes in six categories., including The Bertha Clum Grand Prize Award for the best Kensington piece as well as landscape, abstract, portrait, still life and three-dimensional. Kessler also will judge the plein air paintings.

Date/Time: Aug. 31 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Kensington Town Hall/Armory, 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington

Admission: Free

Information: https://montgomeryart.org/laborday

49th Annual Labor Day Art Show at Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture’s 49th Annual Labor Day Art Show features the work of more than 200 artists from the park and the mid-Atlantic region who created 700-plus works in a wide range of artistic media, including sculpture, painting and drawing, ceramics, glass, jewelry, fiber arts, photography, furniture and works on paper.

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Sleeved prints and jewelry will be sold cash and carry, allowing purchasers to take their purchase with them. All other purchased works will remain on display until the show closes.

The third annual Labor Day Art Show Awards will include $250 cash prizes for top works in the two- and three-dimensional categories as well as the Park View Artist Award, which will include the opportunity for a solo art exhibit in the park’s Park View Gallery in January. Judging the works will be Trudi C. Van Dyke, an independent curator, consultant and juror specializing in contemporary fine craft.

Date/Time: Opening reception: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30; Exhibition: noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 2

Location: Historic Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo

Admission: Free

Information: https://glenechopark.org/LDAS

Glen Echo Pottery Labor Day Sale

Functional and decorative ceramics crafted by local artisans at Glen Echo Pottery as well as  handcrafted ceramic decorative pieces and jewelry and items that will appeal especially to children.

Date/Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Aug. 31 to Sept. 2

Location: Glen Echo Pottery Gallery, Glen Echo Park

Admission: Free

Information: 301-229-5585 | www.glenechopottery.com

9th Annual Friends of the Yellow Barn Drawing Exhibition

Every Labor Day, Yellow Barn instructors, students and members celebrate drawing. While the Yellow Barn is known for classes in oil, watercolor and acrylic painting, the studio understands the importance of drawing and how exceptional drawing skills lead to exceptional paintings. This 9th annual exhibition celebrates pencil, pastel, pen and ink, charcoal and any medium used to make a line in celebration of expressive mark making, line quality, realism and abstraction, including cartooning, sketching, doodling and realistic rendering.

Date/Time: noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 31-Sept. 2, closing reception: 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2

Location: Yellow Barn Studio, Glen Echo Park

Admission: Free

Information: https://yellowbarnstudio.com

Some additional Labor Day weekend options in Glen Echo Park:

• On Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., an Open House for Classes will introduce adults and children to visual and performing arts classes that will be offered at the park in the fall.
• On Sunday, the Folklore Society of Greater Washington’s free Family Dance, 3 to 5 p.m., and Waltz Time’s free Waltz Dance from 2:45 to 6 p.m.
• On Monday, the Irish Music & Dance Showcase’s live performances. 1 to 6 p.m.

PARADES IN KENSINGTON AND GAITHERSBURG

Kensington’s 52nd annual Labor Day Parade and Festival

As the parade moves through town, food trucks, vendors and activities, and beer and wine for purchase will be offered on Armory Avenue.

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Marching bands, equestrian show groups, dance groups, floats and ambassadors as well as the Washington Revels’ band of adults, teens and children dressed in white with multi-colored sashes and arm ribbons and their Hobby Horse, “Snap the Dragon,” and a Smiling Sun.

Date/Time: Monday, Sept. 2, Parade starts at 10 a.m. and Festival goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine

Location: Parade starts at St. Paul Park and ends at the grandstand next to Noyes Children’s Library. Festival on Armory Avenue.

Admission: Free

Information: Tok.md.gov/featured-events/labor-day-parade-and-festival

81st Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade

The City of Gaithersburg and Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department cosponsor one of the city’s oldest traditions, initiated by the Gaithersburg Fire Department’s rescue squad volunteers in 1938. In 1977, a citizen’s committee took over organizing the parade, which has been held every year except 1942, during World War II.

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The parade will feature Uncle Sam on stilts, high school marching bands, dance groups, costumed movie characters and business mascots, antique cars and fire engines, equestrian units and clowns. The city’s mayor and city council members hand out Labor Day Parade coins from their trolley, and organizations and political candidates give out candy and stickers.

Wisdom Martin, FOX 5 DC News Anchor and member of the Good Day DC Team, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. This year’s Grand Marshal is 2019 Distinguished Citizen Janet Neumann, a longtime volunteer with Gaithersburg HELP.

Date/Time: Monday, Sept. 2, 1 to 3 p.m., rain or shine

Location: East Diamond and Russell avenues, Olde Towne Gaithersburg

Food: Food vendors will be located at Olde Towne Plaza and the parking lot next to the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Station, and treats will be sold along Russell Avenue.

Parking: Free parking is available at the Lakeforest Mall transit station, with complimentary shuttle service to and from Gaithersburg Elementary School beginning at noon. Accessible parking for those with disability placards or plates is available behind the Victor Litz store on the north side of Diamond Avenue and behind the Shell station on South Summit Avenue.

Admission: Free

Information: www.gaithersburgmd.gov | 301-258-6350.