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Don’t be bored on Labor Day: 8 great ways to celebrate

We’ve rounded up a great list, with something for every letter in the holiday that needs a little love: L-A-B-O-R D-A-Y.

Updated on Aug. 27, 2019, because it's Labor Day again.

As holidays go, Labor Day gets a little bit of a bum treatment. There's no big parade (no disrespect to Garland's annual event), no huge Labor Day-themed festival. (Though you can get plenty festive at WestFest.)

All this doesn't mean there's nothing to do. Quite the contrary. We've rounded up a great list, with something for every letter in the holiday that needs a little love: L-A-B-O-R D-A-Y.

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L is for Lakes

Get out and enjoy the water all around the area, whether it's cruising on a pontoon, paddling a kayak or doing some stand-up paddleboarding. There are all kinds of options. And if you're just looking for a beachy vibe, we've got you covered there too. Protip: Labor Day is the last day to take a cool dip at spring-fed Burger's Lake in Fort Worth.

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Amanda Wilkins

A is for Arcade

Look, we might be getting closer to fall, but it's still way too hot outside. Why suffer in the heat while you can be playing fun games inside with friends and family? If you want to play a flat fee for oldschool gaming, Free Play Arcade (in Richardson, Arlington and Denton) has all the Joust and Smash TV you could want for $11 (not including the craft beer you can buy on the side).

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If you're more of a cider fan, Cidercade (at Bishop Cider Co.) also offers unlimited arcade games for a flat $10 fee, which you can play while you drink. They've got plenty of hits including Dance Dance Revolution and Mario Kart Arcade GP, but they also have the hard-to-find, 10-player arcade/strategy game Killer Queen. New to the scene in Dallas is Regeneration Arcade Bar and Pizzeria, which pairs classic arcade and pinball machines with pizza, so you can really feel like you're back in the early '90s. (Yes, they have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machine.)

If you want a slick sports bar attached to a flashy arcade, Dave & Busters can keep you occupied whether you want to earn some tickets in a giant version of Fruit Ninja or dominate your friends in a game of Pac-Man Battle Royale.

If you want a side of bowling with your video gaming, Pinstack in Plano or Irving will set you up so you can knock boredom down.

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If you're most interested in arcade games from Japan (especially cool rhythm and fighting games), Round One is probably where you want to be.

Or if you and your fellow adults just want to hang out at a bar but also play some heated Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 matches, you can always hit up Barcadia and try out Giant Jenga while you're there.

Britton Peele

B is for Beer

Texas breweries mark a milestone on Sept. 1. The state joins the other 49 in allowing all beer producers to sell beer to-go, thanks to new legislation passed this summer. Fittingly, many breweries plan to celebrate. Thank goodness Monday is a holiday. Here are some parties where you can ring in the new era in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The annual Labor of Love competition is also worth raising a glass. The event, which takes place Sunday, Sept. 1, at Deep Ellum Brewing Co., features beer from dozens of Dallas-Fort Worth homebrew teams, and they're not afraid to pull out the stops. This is a competition after all, so expect some wild and crazy beers alongside some seriously tasty ones.

Tiney Ricciardi

O is for Outdoor Eating

Fire up the grill or head to a patio: Labor Day Weekend is all about being outside.

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If you're cooking at home, consider the Texan tradition of smoking a brisket. The first thing to know, though, is that making Central Texas style barbecue is a challenge; maybe you should visit one of these barbecue joints in advance to set the bar. Then, consult our list of 11 brisket secrets for at-home barbecue enthusiasts. The day goes like this: Lots of beer, lots of patience and lots of patio sitting.

Speaking of patios, you're welcome to let someone else do the cooking if you'd rather soak up some rays on your day off on a restaurant porch. Hit up Dallas spots Katy Trail Ice House for a dog-friendly option or HG Sply Co. for a third-story perch. Or try Local Traveler for a gorgeous, giant covered patio in East Dallas. In Plano, we like the top deck at Haywire, a West Texas-themed restaurant inside Legacy West. In Arlington, check out Tipsy Oak, a spacious beer bar. And in Fort Worth, Joe T. Garcia's is everyone's favorite.

Sarah Blaskovich

R is for Rhythm and Blues

And jazz and funk and rock. However your tastes run and wherever your location in North Texas, there is a music festival on Labor Day weekend to satisfy.

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The second annual Riverfront Jazz Festival will be at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in downtown Dallas. Legendary local singer Erykah Badu once again headlines the first night of the event; there's a long list of luminaries joining the festivities including Jennifer Holliday, Jonathan Butler, the Dallas Jazz Collective ... you get the picture. The music starts Aug. 31 and goes through Sept. 2.

The Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival turns up the volume to celebrate its 11th year. Boz Scaggs, making his Bedford Blues debut, will headline. And a big BBQ contest and a market will accompany the music across from city hall. The festival runs from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1.

The 50th Anniversary Texas International Pop Festival, pays tribute to the legendary music fest that took place in Lewisville in 1969, just weeks after Woodstock. Fast forward 50 years and ZZ Top, Chicago, Edgar Winter, the Box Tops and more will be on stage at Lewisville Lake Park Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

There has got to be a way to make all three. Right? Right.

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Dawn M. Burkes and Norma Cavazos

D is for Dive In

Come on in, the water's fine at these end-of-summer splash parties.

On Saturday, grab a noodle and watch the family friendly flickWreck It Ralph at McKinney's Apex Centre Dive In Movie night. The outdoor pool opens at 7 p.m. and the movie starts at dusk. Admission is $5.

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Enjoy cold beer, kayaks, tubes and pedal boats on the Trinity River at the final Sunday Funday of the summer.

On Monday, head for the Labor Day Pool Partyat the Texas Pool. Where else can you swim, splash and enter a cannonball contest in a saltwater, Texas-shaped pool?

Norma Cavazos

A is for Art Museums

Add a little culture to your holiday weekend with a visit on Saturday or Sunday to the trifecta of the Arts District museums: the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. Drop by Klyde Warren Park after you've gotten your cultural fill and fill your tummy at the rotating food trucks (on Sunday, you can check out the Labor Day Food Truck Rally at the park.

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Most museums and galleries are closed on Mondays, so if you are looking for an aesthetically inspiring way to spend your extra day off, consider roaming through Deep Ellum or the Bishop Arts District to spot murals, sculptures and other pieces of public art.

Or, head over to NorthPark Center. Not only will you find Neiman Marcus and Gucci at this luxury shopping mall, but also Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Mark di Suvero, among its high-end art collection. You can even request a complimentary NorthPark Art Tour Map with descriptions of each piece from the concierge on level one. (Added bonus: There's air-conditioning.)

Brentney Hamilton

Y is for Yard Games

If you're headed to the lake this weekend for a cookout, you're surely considering tossing a football or lobbing bean bags. But no lake is required for that kind of backyard fun; bars and restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth have turned their patios into hot little spots for yard games.

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Katy Trail Ice House (and its Outpost in Plano) and the Rustic, both in Uptown, are great spots for drinkin' games like cornhole and giant Jenga. If you've got kids in tow, head to the Lot in East Dallas, where both the little ones and Mom and Dad can have some fun in various play areas. Dallas restaurants Lovers Seafood and Mudhen Meat and Greens have games, too, and both invite you to come and play awhile.

Sarah Blaskovich