The Twin Lakes area is preparing for the Labor Day holiday weekend with various events and scheduled closures. Government offices at the city, county, state, and federal levels will close on Monday, along with banks, the Baxter County Library, and post offices. Most stores and restaurants are expected to observe holiday hours. Regular schedules will resume on Tuesday, September 8.
Labor Day dates back to September 5, 1882, when New York City hosted the first official celebration—a parade and picnic organized by the Central Labor Union. At the time, many Americans endured grueling 12-hour shifts, six or seven days a week. The concept of the holiday is attributed either to Peter J. McGuire, a union leader for carpenters, or Matthew Maguire, a machinist from New Jersey. The holiday became an official observance in Oregon in 1887 before federal legislation, signed by President Grover Cleveland in 1894, established it as a national holiday on the first Monday of September.
In Mountain Home, Labor Day weekend offers several local activities. Twin Lakes Playhouse will conclude its production of "Murder on the Orient Express," with performances scheduled at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are available at tlpmh.org or by contacting the box office.
Also on Friday, Mountain Home Moose Lodge No. 1953 will host its monthly fried fish and shrimp dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its location on Highway 5 South. For sports fans, the Mountain Home Bombers will travel to Harrison for a rivalry football game against the Goblins, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
Sunday sees the return of the Bull Shoals Lake Boat Poker Run, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will collect cards at designated stops around the lake, with proceeds benefiting the community fireworks display held annually on the Fourth of July at Bull Shoals Dam.
On Labor Day itself, Mountain Home will host its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony, held days ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The event begins at 4 p.m. Monday at Veterans Plaza. The keynote speaker is John Ceriello, a retired captain with FDNY Rescue 1 who responded to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. A sponsored meal will follow at the community center, honoring local first responders and their families.
Ceriello will remain in the area to instruct a free, evidence-based fire operations training class on Tuesday, hosted by IAFF Local 4496 at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Firefighters from across the state are expected to attend.
The weekend also signals increased traffic on Norfork and Bull Shoals lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission anticipate one of the busiest boating weekends of the year. Officials remind boaters that children under 12 must wear life jackets on moving vessels, and boating under the influence carries penalties comparable to those for drunk driving.
Looking ahead, the following Saturday will feature the second annual Run for Tomorrow 5K at ASUMH, raising funds for suicide prevention. Registration is open through September 11, with Dennis Gillan of the Half a Sorrow Foundation scheduled to speak at the Sheid that evening.