Labor Day Party Ideas 2014: Blowouts, Beach Bashes And Breezy End-Of-Summer Mixers

Imagine where American workers would be without the rise of organized labor. Low wages. No health benefits. Sure, Walmart shareholders would be in heaven, but the rest of us, not so much.

Labor Day, which began with workers’ parades in the 1880s and became a federal holiday in 1894, wasn’t originally an excuse for retail sales and beach parties. It’s an important thing to keep in mind this weekend when you’re planning your summer sendoff. But just because you’re celebrating the American labor movement doesn’t mean planning your party should be laborious. IBTimes is here to help with the best party ideas on the Internet for Labor Day 2014.

Labor Day Weekend Party Ideas From Evite

The folks at Evite.com, which pioneered online social planning way back in the late 1990s, have built up quite a stockpile of party ideas for every occasion -- yes, even Mardi Gras. The site’s Labor Day section is a wealth of stimulating party fodder, from invitation design concepts, to activities, to food and drink ideas. And if you still can’t decide on a theme for your party? Evite has you covered there, too. Our advice: Go with the “beach party” -- while there’s still time. See the full list here.

Billboard’s Labor Day Playlist

The title says it all. If you’re looking for music to spice up your Labor Day playlist, Billboard magazine’s Kenneth Partridge has compiled “20 songs about working for the man.” At the risk of editorializing, we’re happy to see “Career Opportunities” from the Clash alongside the theme song from “9 to 5,” but we could’ve done without “Bright Future In Sales” from Fountains of Wayne. Check out the full list (complete with Spotify links) here.

Toast The End Of Summer With DailyWorth

Granted, summer 2014 didn't deliver much heat or humidity, but we’re still going to miss the warm weather and long days. And even if El Nino saves us from a soul-crushingly frigid winter, as some meteorologists are predicting, it will be cold comfort for those of us who thrive in June, July and August. In honor of the unofficial last weekend of summer, the women’s lifestyle website DailyWorth.com has put together a list of top picks for toasting the season’s end. And DailyWorth contributor Molly Triffin has gone out of her way to accommodate every budget: each category -- from “blowout Labor Day bash” to “fancy dinner party” -- comes with a skimp or splurge section. Check out the full list here.

Stress-Free Labor Day Party Ideas From The Beaver County Times

Honestly, we just liked the title of this one. The thought of saying goodbye to summer is stressful enough without putting a lot of pressure on yourself. The rural Pennsylvania newspaper Beaver County Times has the right idea with this roundup of easy-breezy party concepts for Labor Day 2014. “Don’t labor over decoration ideas for your gathering,” the paper writes. “Instead, stick with simple ideas that add a splash of style.” We’re so there.

Pinterest’s Labor Day Party Board

Finally, we saved the best for last. As far as social networks go, Pinterest tends to get short shrift compared to, say, Facebook or Twitter. But in terms of discovering creative concepts, there remains no greater destination than the Internet’s vault of visual discovery. Pinterest’s Labor Day Party board is an endless supply of concepts related to the holiday. (In fact, it’s literally endless thanks to the site’s infinite scrolling feature.) Start with the beach cake lollipops and work your way down to the peanut butter fudge starfish. Top it off with a citrus mint spritzer.

And if you’re ready for real cocktails, don’t miss Rebecka Schumann’s roundup of easy-to-make Labor Day drink recipes here.

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