Iowa's Oldest Labor Day Celebration, Graettinger, Iowa.

Today, Graettinger has the distinction of observing a continuous Labor Day Celebration from 1896 to the present.

The first Labor Day Celebration was in 1896 on the farm of Mr. A.A. Wells and his son, Carl. This first picnic was sponsored by the Farmers' Institute according to the September 4, 1899 edition of the Graettinger Times.

The Farmers' Institute Picnic was changed to the Graettinger Labor Day Celebration, held in town on September 4, 1913, celebration. A carnival atmosphere now prevailed.

The celebrations continued with good programs and order up to the present. The men and women of the Graettinger Labor Day Committee are to be commended for their loyal, dedicated, and excellent work.