Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. City offices and rec centers close, Monday trash is unaffected, and beach dog rules ease after the holiday weekend.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the City of Virginia Beach’s 2026 Labor Day operating schedule, Town Center of Virginia Beach’s end-of-summer guide and the city’s beach dog rules. The city posted its 2026 schedule on Aug. 31; until the 2027 one is out, the details below are from 2026.

Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027, the unofficial end of summer at the Oceanfront. City offices, recreation centers and libraries close for the day, parks and beaches stay open, and trash pickup does not change, because the city never collects on Mondays. After the holiday weekend, the summer limits on dogs at the beach lift.

Who to call

  • City information: VB311, 311 or 757-385-3111
  • Waste Management: 757-385-4650 (closed Labor Day)
  • Police non-emergency: 757-385-5000; emergency 911

What is open and closed

From the city’s 2026 Labor Day schedule:

Closed on Labor Day

  • City administrative offices and all community recreation centers
  • All public libraries, including the TCC/City Joint-Use Library
  • Circuit, General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts and clerk’s offices, and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
  • Sandler Center box office, Convention Center offices and the Voter Registrar’s Office
  • Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center and the history museums
  • Department of Public Health (it closed at noon the Friday before in 2026)
  • Waste Management offices and the West Neck Recycling Center

Open on Labor Day

  • City parks and park facilities, including the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp and Beach Facility, at regular hours
  • Virginia Aquarium, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Virginia Beach Farmers Market (merchants set their own hours)
  • Visitor Information Center at Chesapeake Bay Center in First Landing State Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Parks Avenue center and the 17th Street kiosk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools were closed Friday, Sept. 4, and Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day in 2026. The 2027-28 school calendar was not yet posted when we checked.

Trash pickup

No change. The city’s trash and recycling collections and the Landfill and Resource Recovery Center do not operate on Mondays, so Labor Day moves no one’s pickup. See our trash and recycling guide.

Labor Day weekend events

Summer Fest at Town Center. Free outdoor concerts by local bands fill Fountain Plaza every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, 5 to 9 p.m., through Labor Day weekend, and in 2026 added a bonus concert on Labor Day Monday, according to Town Center’s end-of-summer guide. Parking in the Town Center garages is free.

Oceanfront festivals and concerts are announced by Beach Events VB, the city’s events program; we will add 2027 Labor Day weekend events as they are posted.

After the holiday: the beach changes

  • Dogs: from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, dogs are banned from the sand and water in the Resort Area (Rudee Loop to 42nd Street). After Labor Day weekend, they may be on the public beaches and Boardwalk at any time, leashed on the Boardwalk and off-leash on the sand only with reliable voice control, the city says.
  • Little Island Park parking fees run through Labor Day Monday.
  • Little Island Fishing Pier keeps its summer hours, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., through Oct. 31.

What this means for you

  • Do city business by Friday; offices reopen Tuesday.
  • Keep your normal trash day.
  • Bring the dog back to the beach the week after Labor Day.

Related: dog-friendly Virginia Beach and free things to do in Virginia Beach.

Frequently asked questions

Is trash picked up on Labor Day in Virginia Beach?

Labor Day does not change pickup. The city’s Waste Management collections and the landfill do not operate on Mondays, the city says, so no route moves.

What is closed on Labor Day in Virginia Beach?

In 2026, city administrative offices, recreation centers, all public libraries, the courts, the Animal Care and Adoption Center and the history museums were closed. City parks, the Virginia Aquarium (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and the Farmers Market were open.

When can dogs go back on the beach in Virginia Beach?

After Labor Day weekend. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend dogs are banned from the sand in the Resort Area; in the off-season they may be on public beaches and the Boardwalk at any time, leashed on the Boardwalk.

What is there to do on Labor Day weekend in Virginia Beach?

In 2026, Town Center’s free Summer Fest concerts ran Friday through Sunday nights, 5 to 9 p.m., through Labor Day weekend, with a bonus concert on Labor Day itself. City parks and beaches stay open.