We Have the Oldest Labor Day Parade in the South
Canton’s Labor Day festival began in 1906 as a celebration of the Western North Carolina worker whose grit and fierce determination led to the construction of the Champion Fibre Company paper mill that would persevere through a great depression, two world wars, and two buy outs.
Today, many of the manufacturers that opened shop in the region in the same era as the Canton mill have vanished, swept out by globalization and replaced by a new tourism and healthcare economy. However, Canton’s mill is going strong. Now a subsidiary of Evergreen Packaging, the mill employs 1,200 workers and boasts 600 union jobs. With a $90 million payroll, Evergreen is a formative economic driver in the region.
The mill makes things that circle the world, from the Starbucks paper coffee cup that adorns your office desk to the orange juice carton in your fridge. It is one of longest-operating mills in the United States and is uniquely positioned adjacent to a downtown. Like the mill, the Canton Labor Day Festival has not missed a beat. In 2019 the mill workers and wider community will celebrate the 113th festival, continuing Canton’s bragging rights of hosting the longest running Labor Day festival in the south.
Come to downtown Canton on September 1st -2nd and experience a living, breathing manufacturing town with unmatched authenticity and pride. Celebrate Canton’s unique manufacturing legacy and all things made in Western North Carolina.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are ALWAYS welcome! To volunteer please contact Lisa Stinnett or call 828-648-2363.
VENDORS
For vendor information and/or applications please email Lisa Stinnett.