With the pandemic for many in the rear-view mirror, many Laredoans made plans to live it up during this Labor Day Weekend.
Many locals stated they hope to enjoy their three days off from work, culminating with Labor Day at home on Monday. And whether they simply plan to stay at home and do a traditional carne asada or travel out of the area, locals shared their plans to spend an extended weekend with family and loved ones this holiday.
“We are definitely going out to spend some time in San Antonio with my kids at Six Flags, and then … do some cookout as well,” Laredoan Jose Caballero said. “The long weekend allows us to spend at least three to four days out of the house, and we will not let anything stop us.”
According to Caballero, he said the previous two years they have not had any real Labor Day weekend plans as the pandemic halted them in 20202 while online classes in 2021 were a focus.
“I like the fact that things are back to normal again,” Caballero said. “I mean, who thought normalcy was so good? But it is. Also, I like the fact that we finally get to see these important holidays as what they are and not just another day just at home. This is something good, and I hope people take advantage of it this weekend and any other holiday coming up.”
Other families plan to go for even bigger vacation destinations and more days during the weekend beyond. This is as the Lopez family — composed of a wife, husband and two children — are going to Disney World for the extended weekend and the latter half of the following week.
“We have been planning this trip for two years now, but thanks to the pandemic, it got rescheduled and rescheduled,” Gustavo Lopez said. “My eldest is now 6, and we got a new kid during the pandemic, which shows for how long we planned it. And although we know school is in the middle, we thought that this would be a perfect time to go for the trip that we all needed. Hope to bring many memories and also rest from the daily work routine of long hours.”
Some people also plan to stay local and do some family reunions, cookouts and shopping.
“Why go out when we have a lot of things to do here? I will certainly turn on the carbon, enjoy some drinks with the family and maybe go out shopping, as there are a lot of Labor Day deals going on,” Samuel Lara said. “All the money we would have wasted on traveling or even going to a theme park, we can definitely use it to shop a bit and have some more money for our expenses locally.”
Lara also said he was grateful for Saturday’s movie ticket promotion across the country at many locations, taking advantage of the $3 tickets.
“We haven’t seen those prices in decades, and I’m sure that is another activity that is cost-effective for all of us to enjoy,” he said
Penelope Garcia had similar plans to take advantage of those deals kicking off the three-day weekend.
“Labor Day is known as one of the dates in which less people go to the threaer, as they are all out travelling or eating barbecue. But this Labor Day, I am glad that movie theaters thought about it and made this huge promotion, and they are also putting classics like ‘Jaws’ and others back at the screen,” Garcia said. “It will surely be a fun Labor Day weekend with a lot of flicks.
As some stay home, Caballero states that it is important for people to enjoy their off time as much as possible and also to do so in a setting that allows them to feel relaxed and away from the stresses of bad news.
“Labor Day weekend is more than just a day off, it is a time to relax and finally step outside of the office and let all of that hard work and stress get out of the body,” Caballero said. “Hope people enjoy this holiday and see that it is more valuable than ever, as the pandemic is almost over and we continue to go back to our normal lives, routines and ways of doing things.”
