2015 Labor Day at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian holds a few promises of fun, frolic and fancy for friends and families.

Labor Day BBQ at the Pool begins 11 a.m., Sept. 7. Cost is $20 for adults and $12 for children. Those who attend can put their athletic acumen to the test by forging their way up a rock climbing wall. Games, prizes and (who on earth could forget?) ice cream will be part of this year’s Labor Day celebration.

Although Labor Day has been celebrated for more than a century, scholars dispute its origins. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Peter J. McGuire first suggested setting aside a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” McGuire was the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor.

However, recent research suggests the proposition that Matthew Maguire – and not Peter McGuire – was behind the holiday’s founding. Maguire was a machinist and later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists, New Jersey.

History Shows Labor Day Idea Originated from Union

Records tend to show Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882 when he was New York’s Central Labor Union secretary. Whether the idea came from Peter McGuire or Matthew Maguire, few dispute the Central Labor Union adopted the proposal and appointed a committee. The committee planned a demonstration and a picnic to celebrate labor.

The first Labor Day was held on Sept. 5, 1882 in New York City by the Central Labor Union, which also hosted the second Labor Day exactly one year later.

The first Monday in September was designated as the day to celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” in New York City. The idea began to spread to other big cities and industrial areas.

The pattern of the celebration would include a parade to show the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” which was followed by a family festival. Prominent speakers were added to the mix in the decades that followed.

Take a look at our calendar for more events. The event is not open to the public, but members may bring their friends. Keep up with all of the latest news from Golden Ocala by following us on Facebook and Twitter.