Don’t sweat the Labor Day blues

Labor Day is an oxymoronic weekend celebration.

The good part is it’s a three-day weekend and, like other holidays, an excuse to eat bad and drink too much. But Labor Day has a darker side: It’s the end of summer and the last official holiday until Thanksgiving. So enjoy the last bit of extra daylight and celebrate the mini-break with these supercheap events.

Sacramento Greek Festival: Celebrating Greek culture isn’t just about the food, but that’s definitely a major perk. And since it’s the end of swimsuit season, this fest is the perfect excuse to binge on spanakopita, baklava, moussaka and gyros. Check out the Web site at www.sacramentogreekfestival.com to drool over amazing photos of the food.

Chalk It Up!: This is an awesome event that’s fun and supports children’s arts education. Plus, it allows people to graffiti public sidewalks—as long as the tool of choice is chalk. For only $10, people can create a piece of art that will last until, well, the first rain of the fall or the end of September. Of course, there also will be local musicians and performers.

Gold Rush Days: How does Old Sac celebrate the Gold Rush days when it has horse-drawn carriages, wooden planks and old buildings all year long? Haul in 200 tons of dirt, get people to dress in hella hot period costumes and let visitors pan for fool’s gold. It’s very likely you’ll step in a pile of horse poo, so flip-flops aren’t encouraged.