Labor Day Festival: Booths

August 31 – September 3

Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival is unique in that instead of simply renting out booths to the highest bidders, who may have little to do with the town, the food and carnival midway booths are sponsored by local organizations and are often staffed by their members. These organizations can then sell food to raise fund or hand out information to make their activities better known.

Volunteering at the Labor Festival’s information booth on opening night (Friday) are from left Neel Lakshman, Sumit Dalsania, Kevin Pham, and Adekunle Awojinrin. All four are seniors at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, and their shift is from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Jim Fischer (right) makes a button at the Greenbelt Baha’i Community’s button making booth.

Caite Fleming and Grant Mitchell at Greenbelt Baha’i’s button making booth

Volunteering at Greenbelt Baha’i’s booth are from left Marzi Branyan (13), William Peterson (11), Joy Allchin, Jim Fischer, and Roya Bauman

Boxwood Village is a subdivision of single-family houses between Crescent Road and Ridge Road, and Boxwood Civic Association was formed in 1966, a year after the first residents moved in. The association has a photo booth and it also sells cold drinks for 50 cents each. Standing behind the table are Julia Briegs and Paak Hei Ng, two seniors at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

For one dollar, one can get four different photos with the “Greenbelt Labor Day Festival 2012” label.

Aanchal Jalota and her daughter Aanya (4) emerge after their photo session.

Lovin’ Life in Maryland is part of Unification Church; Greenbelt Homes, Inc.; and Boxwood Village photo booth.

Ann Dunne and Frank DeBernardo are at GHI’s booth. They have information on GHI and lapel pins commemorating the co-op’s 60th anniversary this year. The co-op was formed in 1952 when the federal government decided to sell Greenbelt and was able to purchase the 1,600 townhomes. The apartment buildings and shopping center in the city were sold to other buyers.

Ethel Dutky is at Greenbelt Animal Shelter’s booth, one of the most popular in the festival. A stream of people come up to pat Samantha, shelter manager Kim DeAngelis’s 13-year-old Papillon. Dutky says that Papillons are great dogs: “They are healthy, affectionate, and live long.”

Courtney and Scott Ritz with Sam

Sam kisses Diego (12) as Jessica (11) looks on.

Jessica apparently has been to the Police Department’s booth. She wears a “CLICK IT OR TICKET” sticker on her forehead.

On the next day, Saturday, I walk by the animal shelter’s booth again and this time I can see its signs.

Volunteering today are Liz Tobey, Richard and Marika Imberski. With Liz is Shreky, shelter manager Kim DeAngelis’s other Papillon (last night it was Sam).

Cody, a Greenbelt Elementary School student, stands by the dunk tank. The tank is run by the Greenbelt Boys and Girls Club but the people are not yet here.

A football helmet of the Greenbelt Boys and Girls Club Raiders

Eleanor Roosevelt High School is partnering with Vocelli Pizza, and at their booth are Sylvain Tchaptchet, Steve Kemgang, Rachel Schoff (Vocelli), and Atem Forwang. The three students are seniors.

Greenbelt Babe Ruth baseball is partnering with Giggy’s BBQ to sell pit beef sandwiches, pulled pork and chicken tacos, and cheese nachos. A watermelon slice is $1.

Greenbelt Boy Scout Troop 746 has hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, and pulled pork sandwiches for sale.

Lenny Wertz, Troop 746’s scoutmaster, gets a new supply of bread.

Kris Weene, a member of Troop 746, waits for the next customer.

Polish and Italian sausages are sold at the St. Hugh Knights of Columbus’s booth.

Dave Lockwood and Martin Collins of St. Hugh Knights of Columbus

At the festival information booth are from left, Kelly Ivy, Jon Gardner, and Linda Ivy. Linda Ivy is president of the Labor Day Festival Board of Directors, Jon Gardner is treasurer, and Kelly Ivy is on the Labor Day Festival Committee, in charge of entertainment.

In front of Greenbelt Nursery School’s booth are easels for children to paint on.

Children’s paintings are hung on these racks to dry. They can be claimed later.

At Greenbelt Nursery School’s booth, Markus Most and Jenny Kim stand in front of “Greenbelt is Great” t-shirts.

This bratwurst and gyro booth is sponsored by the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt.

This funnel cake and lemonade booth, one of the most popular at the festival, is sponsored by the Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt Democratic Club in partnership with Sugar Daddy Funnel Cake of Pasadena, Maryland, near Baltimore.

Mayor Judith Davis and City Councilmember Konrad Herling volunteer at the Roosevelt Club booth. “Who’s Your Daddy” on the back of the t-shirt refers to Sugar Daddy Funnel Cake.

Jake Kroneberg of Sugar Daddy Funnel Cake

Joe Koenig, owner of Sugar Daddy Funnel Cake

Paps Koenig prepares the funnel cake batter.

Karl Shipps, Roosevelt Club’s president, works at a lemonade squeezer.

Ann Landry Lombardi (right) of Roosevelt Club hands Sarah Headley a list of ballot questions for the upcoming election in November.

Attached to Roosevelt Club’s booth is a photograph of President Obama: “I value your ongoing support.”

Hilary Howes and Celestine Ranney-Howes at GHI’s booth on Saturday night. People have written down remarks under “Great things about GHI”:
Community! Love the folks in my court—a real neighborhood.
Great community for life—not just “first home.”
Love the people—love the walkability—love the fact I have a herd of deer that visit my yard.
I love the trees!
I love my court mates!
Small town living.
Easy to get involved!
I love not having to drive to get to the pool, the park, the grocery store, the movie theater…!

Taking down the signs on Saturday night

Eddie Gignac of Giggy’s BBQ hands out watermelon slices before the fair closes on Saturday.

The Boy Scout Troop 746 booth on Sunday afternoon

The sno cone booth is sponsored by Ancestral Knowledge, an organization that teaches native life skills.

This booth has won Green Star Award for Sustainability Efforts, given out by the Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Green ACES).

Pat Novinski, a GHI board member, and Bob Snyder show GHI 60th anniversary pins and the latest issue of its quarterly newsletter, The Communicator

Bob Snyder talks to a group at the GHI booth on Sunday.

Wearing a kimono is Libby Henkin, a member of Lovin’ Life Ministries. She tells me that her organization is part of Rev. Moon’s Unification Church. Her church meets at Bladensburg High School and operates New Hope Academy. She says that she is wearing a kimono and the booth has Africa art works because the church has missionaries all over the world. She also tells me that she received a call a few minutes ago informing her that Rev. Moon has just passed away, and the group has said a prayer for him.

Hannah draws a portrait of Cecile in front of Lovin’ Life Ministries booth.

Cecile shows the portrait that Hannah has just drawn for her.

Alisa Plaza (right) of Sunrise Catering puts up a banner.

Sello Mungo, Plaza’s husband, serves vegetarian food. The couple came from Trinidad and Tobago and operate a restaurant on Kennedy Street in Northwest D.C. and a stall at Union Station. They come to Greenbelt Farmers Market on some Sundays and attend many area festivals. After Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival, there will be Adams Morgan Day, Barracks Row Fall Festival, D.C. VegFest, etc.

Chef Lou and his brother Dorminick Parker work at their grill.

Chef Lou’s booth is sponsored by the Greenbelt Fraternal Order of Police and offers barbecue ribs, chicken and turkey sandwiches, roast beef, chili dogs, quesadillas, carrot and sweet potato cakes.

The Greenbelt Baptist Church’s booth offers face painting and balloons.

Sylvia Lewis (left) and Janet Parker pose with a cutout of President Obama at the Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt Club’s booth on Sunday afternoon.

Sylvia Lewis (left) and Janet Parker pose with the Old Glory.

County Councilwoman Ingrid Turner works at the Roosevelt Club’s lemonade stand after Monday’s parade.

Mayor Pro Tem Emmett Jordan (right) shows how to make lemonade.

Sandra Lange works at the Roosevelt Club’s funnel cake stand.

Sugar Daddy Funnel Cakes from Pasadena, Maryland: Cherry Jubilee, Oreo Cookie Delight, and Chocolate Éclair. It is a crab pretzel in the back.

The Public Works Department’s banner above the booth lists some of the functions performed by the department: “street maintenance, traffic control, parks and athletic field maintenance, horticulture, city facilities maintenance, snow removal, waste collection and recycling, Greenbelt Connection.”

Jim Sterling is the Assistant Director of Public Works. He tells that the department has recently put in long lasting and efficient LED and induction street lights at Roosevelt Center and Youth Center parking lots, Schrom Hills Park, and Stream Valley Path. Their next big project is the replacement of the Municipal Building’s roof.

On the right is a 60-watt incandescent light bulb, and on the left is an LED bulb that gives out the same amount of light and is 10-watt only.

A child plays in the Boys and Girls Club’s booth on Monday afternoon.

Barbara Havekost (left) and Sylvia Lewis hold a trophy that the GHI float won earlier this morning at the parade. “We have nothing to do with it,” Havekost tells me.

Sharon Anderson (left) and Adrienne White have just put on GHI 60th anniversary pins.

Dairy Kone

Kevawnna (1 and a half) tries on a kimono at Lovin’ Life Ministries booth.

The Mishkan Torah Men’s Club sells French fries and sweet potato fries.

The booths on Monday afternoon