The federal Labor Day holiday, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the contributions of American workers to the country’s social and economic achievements. Many people get the day off to enjoy a long, three-day weekend. There are many ways you can celebrate the holiday to relax and take advantage of the final days of summer before fall officially begins. Here are six ways to celebrate and enjoy the Labor Day weekend in McKinney, Texas.
Hit the Shops
Photo by Alexander Kovacs on Unsplash
Celebrate the end of summer with a little retail therapy. For unique items, you won’t find anywhere else, head to Downtown McKinney, which offers over 120 stores, including antiques, home decor, apparel, and specialty shops. Find global and fair-trade goods at Fair & Square Imports, which carries handcrafted items from over 40 countries. Stock up on household essentials like hand soap and laundry detergent at Buff City Soap, which makes clean, plant-based products without harsh chemicals. Treat yourself to some chocolate desserts at Goodies Texas or a tin of gourmet popcorn at Mom and Popcorn.
While Labor Day is a federal holiday, many retail stores remain open, making it the perfect time to stock up on back-to-school supplies or clothes. You can find these stores at various shopping centers in McKinney, such as McKinney Towne Crossing or Eldorado Plaza. While true fall weather may still be a couple of months away, you can also shop for fall-weather essentials, such as jackets and coats.
Go on a Bike Ride
Get some fresh air and exercise with a bike ride for the whole family. There are miles of bike trails throughout McKinney for you to explore during the Labor Day weekend. Head to nearby Plano, Texas, to visit the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. This 200-acre park features a 3-mile paved recreational trail and a 2.8-mile dedicated off-road cycling trail. You may spot various wildlife as you bike among the prairie grasses and densely wooded forests.
You can find another popular biking trail at Erwin Park in McKinney. The park features 10 miles of mountain biking trails with varying terrain. You’ll ride through shaded woods in some sections, while other parts of the trail feature wide open fields. There are some hills along the trail to get your heart pumping before you enjoy some speedy downhill sections.
Have a Picnic
While many people choose to have cookouts on Labor Day, you can save yourself the trouble of heating up the grill and have a picnic instead. Pack some cold-cut sandwiches, a few bags of chips, and a cooler full of beverages, and visit one of the many parks or green spaces in the McKinney area. The 216-acre Bonnie Wenk Park, located in the heart of McKinney, offers plenty of space for picnickers. The park also has a first-come, first-served pavilion where you can gather with a large group of friends or family to enjoy a meal together.
For picnicking, other popular parks in McKinney include the Towne Lake Recreation Area, Cottonwood Park, and Finch Park. These parks offer dedicated picnic areas, shaded grassy spots, and other amenities like playgrounds, splash pads, and sand volleyball courts.
Cool Off With a Swim
Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash
What better way to enjoy the waning dog days of summer than with a dip in the pool? Make a trip to the Apex Centre to enjoy the outdoor leisure pool before it closes for the season. This pool features two closed-flume body slides, two open-flume body slides, and a swimming area ranging from 3 to 4 feet in depth. There’s also a river channel, a family slide, a kiddie play structure, and a basketball hoop. If you have little ones, bring them to the center’s outdoor kiddie pool, where children and parents can enjoy shallow-water features together.
Labor Day is also the final weekend of seasonal operation for The Texas Pool in nearby Plano. This unique pool allows you to swim across Texas — literally. The 168,000-gallon saltwater pool is shaped like the state to provide hours of enjoyment. This public pool also features a diving board, kid and toddler slides, a wading area, and a water volleyball area. Plan to spend the day at the pool and bring your own picnic lunch or burgers to cook on the pool’s gas grills. Outside food and drinks are allowed.
Enjoy Some Ice Cream
Calories don’t count on a holiday, right? Bid farewell to summer with a sweet treat from your favorite ice cream shop. Visit Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream for unique, fresh-made ice cream in various flavors, such as cinnamon roll, peppermint bark, or cherry cordial. Get a traditional cone, dish, or sundae, or try a Hurricane, which is vanilla ice cream blended with your choice of toppings. Bruster’s Ice Cream is another local favorite ice cream shop featuring premium flavors and freshly baked waffle cones.
For a more adult ice cream experience, visit Cocktail Creamery in McKinney. This store, run by a husband-and-wife team, infuses high-quality liquors into its premium homemade ice creams before freezing. Cocktail Creamery sells scoops, pints, sundaes, and floats in various flavors, such as white chocolate raspberry rumble and mocha madness. There are also non-alcoholic chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice creams available.
Take a Camping Trip
If you prefer to sleep under the stars, plan a weekend camping trip over the Labor Day holiday. Texas state parks offer some of the best camping experiences available, and you don’t have to travel far from McKinney to enjoy these world-class amenities. You can get to Ray Roberts Lake State Park in Pilot Point, Texas, in less than an hour. The park offers over 300 campsites, including electric and primitive sites with picnic tables, outdoor grills, and nearby restrooms and showers.
During your camping trip, you can hike or bike along the park’s trails, swim at one of the beach areas, or fish on the 29,000-acre Ray Roberts Lake. Whether you stay for a night or the whole weekend, your camping trip will surely be a highlight of the summer.
Now you know more about six ways to celebrate the Labor Day weekend in the McKinney area. How do you typically celebrate the holiday? Are there other activities you enjoy doing over the long weekend? Send a message to Huffines Hyundai McKinney and let us know so we can add it to our list. We love highlighting the fun, unique experiences you can have in the McKinney area, which we’re proud to call home.