Labor Day is Sept. 6, 2027. Durham city and county closings, the one-day trash delay, the last pool day and weekend events, from the 2026 notices.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. The 2027 notices are not out yet; the closings below are from Durham County’s 2026 Labor Day notice and the city’s 2026 collection calendar, and we will replace them when the 2027 versions are posted.

Labor Day closes city and county offices and libraries, pushes trash pickup back a day and marks the last day of the outdoor pool season.

Who to call

  • Durham One Call (city services): 919-560-1200
  • Durham County Solid Waste: 919-560-0433
  • Water main breaks and sewer overflows after hours and on holidays: 919-560-4344
  • GoDurham: 919-485-RIDE (7433)
  • Emergency: 911

What is open and closed

From the 2026 notices; the 2027 pattern may differ:

Service Labor Day (2026 pattern)
Durham County offices Closed; reopen Tuesday
Durham County Library, all branches Closed; reopen Tuesday
Durham County Department of Public Health Closed; for public health emergencies, call 911 and ask for the on-call team
County solid waste and recycling convenience sites Closed; reopen Tuesday
County roadside recycling No change that week
City trash and recycling Delayed one day (below)
Hillside Pool Last day of the outdoor season
Museum of Life and Science Monday closures run from Labor Day to Memorial Day; check its site

We could not find the city’s 2026 Labor Day notice. On Memorial Day 2026 the city closed most offices, ran GoDurham at Sunday-level service and made downtown parking free; see our Memorial Day page.

Trash and recycling

In Labor Day week 2026, the city’s collection calendar moved Monday routes to Tuesday and Tuesday routes to Wednesday, according to our trash and recycling page, which tracks the city calendar. Check the Durham Rollout app for your street in 2027. County roadside recycling customers keep their normal day.

Pools and the outdoors

  • Hillside Pool, 1221 Sawyer St., the city’s outdoor pool, was open through Labor Day in 2026, daily from 1 to 5 p.m.; city youth swim free (outdoor pools page). See our summer camps and pools page.
  • Little River Lake and Lake Michie are open Friday to Monday in season, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., when water levels allow (city lakes page).

Labor Day weekend events

Discover Durham’s Labor Day weekend guide listed these for the 2026 holiday weekend, Sept. 4-7; the 2027 lineup is not out yet:

  • PLAYlist concert series at Durham Central Park on the Friday night, part of its free first-Friday concerts, with food trucks, drinks and vendors.
  • Fall Movies in the Park from Durham Parks and Recreation at Durham Central Park, free.
  • Duke Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert on Duke’s East Campus Quad.
  • College football at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium and N.C. Central’s O’Kelley-Riddick Stadium, and a Durham Bulls home game at the DBAP.

We will post the 2027 weekend lineup here as organizers announce it.

What this means for you

  • Monday and Tuesday trash customers: roll carts out one day later.
  • Last swim of the summer: Hillside Pool’s final day is Labor Day.
  • Planning a museum day? Check the Museum of Life and Science’s hours; its Monday closures start at Labor Day.

Frequently asked questions

When is Labor Day 2027?

Monday, Sept. 6, 2027, the first Monday in September.

Is trash picked up on Labor Day in Durham?

No. In 2026 the city’s collection calendar moved Monday routes to Tuesday and Tuesday routes to Wednesday in Labor Day week. Check the Durham Rollout app for 2027.

Are Durham County offices and libraries closed on Labor Day?

Yes. In 2026 Durham County closed most offices, every library location and the solid waste convenience sites on Labor Day and reopened them Tuesday.

When does Hillside Pool close for the season?

In 2026 the city’s outdoor pool, Hillside Pool, stayed open through Labor Day, daily from 1 to 5 p.m.

Is the Museum of Life and Science open on Labor Day?

The museum closes on Mondays from Labor Day to Memorial Day, so check its site before a Labor Day visit.