Although it’s never pleasant talking about the end of summer in Michigan, we will make an exception because it is traditionally marked by Labor Day, which is only one month away.

Building trades workers and their families in three communities are invited to join celebrations of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 6. Parades and picnics are the order of the day in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Marquette and Muskegon.

In Detroit, the building trades will march in the annual Labor Day Parade starting at 9:45 a.m. The parade will stage as usual along Trumbull Blvd., then proceed north, and then east along Michigan Avenue. Marchers will then go south on Washington Blvd. to Jefferson Ave. to the Labor Legacy Monument.

This year, other AFL-CIO unions will stage on Trumbull north of Michigan Avenue and proceed along the same route.

On Sunday, Sept. 12, the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO will once again host LaborFest at Ford Field.

In Grand Rapids, parade-goers can gather at John Ball Park between 8 and 9 a.m., where buses will take participants to the staging area at Winter and Fulton streets. The parade starts at 10 a.m. After the parade a picnic will take place at John Ball Park.

In Marquette, the 2003 Labor Day Festival will start with an 11 a.m. parade along Third Street, followed by a picnic and other activities at Mattson Lower Harbor Park.

In Muskegon, the West Michigan United Labor Day Parade will start at 11 a.m. The staging area is at Pere Marquette Park in conjunction with the Shoreline Spectacular. A picnic at the park will follow the parade.