BOOTS, BBQ & LABOR DAY!
Celebrating Labor Day with our TO DO List!
Labor Day is the unofficial farewell to summer—a long weekend made for dusty boots, backyard barbecues, horses, family, friends, and soaking up every last bit of summer sunshine.
For cowgirls, the holiday also celebrates something that runs deep in the Western way of life: hard work.
From early-morning barn chores and hauling hay to raising families, building businesses, working careers, training horses, and keeping ranch life moving, cowgirls know there’s something satisfying about ending the day tired, dusty, and proud of what you accomplished.
“Here’s to strong hands, dusty boots, big dreams—and a day well earned.”
FIRE UP THE GRILL
Nothing says Labor Day weekend quite like the smell of a barbecue drifting across the backyard.
Keep the menu casual and country: grilled burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, chips and salsa, and a big pitcher of lemonade or sweet tea. Finish things off with brownies, peach cobbler, or homemade ice cream.
Set out a few gingham tablecloths, galvanized tubs filled with cold drinks, wildflowers in Mason jars, and red, white, and blue bandanas for an easy Americana table.
Add a country playlist, lawn games, horseshoes, cornhole, and a fire pit after sunset, and you have everything you need for an old-fashioned Labor Day gathering.
ONE LAST SUMMER RIDE
Before the barbecue begins, saddle up.
Labor Day weekend is perfect for an early-morning trail ride or a leisurely evening ride when the temperatures begin to cool. Pack some water and snacks, grab a friend, and enjoy the landscape as summer slowly begins giving way to fall.
There’s something about seeing September from between a horse’s ears that makes you appreciate the changing season just a little more.
“Summer may be riding into the sunset, but cowgirl season never ends.”
LABOR DAY COWGIRL STYLE
Keep your outfit easy and comfortable with an Americana-Western combination: favorite jeans or denim shorts, a white tee or tank, turquoise jewelry, cowboy boots, and a red or blue bandana.
As the sun goes down, throw on a denim jacket or lightweight Western shirt. It’s the perfect transition from summer into those first cooler September evenings.
And that old “no white after Labor Day” rule?
We say wear the white boots.
THE COWGIRL’S LABOR DAY CHECKLIST
☐ Take an early-morning or sunset horseback ride
☐ Fire up the grill for burgers, steaks or BBQ chicken
☐ Make corn on the cob and a favorite summer side
☐ Fill a galvanized tub with ice-cold drinks
☐ Wear your favorite boots and denim
☐ Add a little red, white & blue to the table
☐ Play horseshoes, cornhole or backyard games
☐ Turn up your favorite country playlist
☐ Take one last dip in the pool or lake
☐ Serve watermelon, cobbler or homemade ice cream
☐ Gather around the fire pit after sunset
☐ Snap a few photos with your favorite people—and horses
☐ Put your feet up and enjoy a little well-earned rest
☐ Watch the September sunset
☐ Be thankful for another summer well lived
SIDEBAR: BUILD A COWGIRL BBQ BAR
From the Grill: Burgers • Hot Dogs • Steaks • BBQ Chicken
Country Sides: Baked Beans • Potato Salad • Corn on the Cob • Coleslaw • Watermelon
Something Sweet: Peach Cobbler • Brownies • S’mores • Homemade Ice Cream
Sip On: Lemonade • Sweet Tea • Sparkling Water • Iced Fruit Punch
Set the Scene: Gingham • Bandanas • Mason Jars • Wildflowers • String Lights • Country Music
“Good horses. Good food. Good people. That’s our kind of Labor Day.”
As summer rides toward the horizon, Labor Day gives us one more chance to slow down and enjoy the things that make life sweet—the people around our table, the horses waiting at the barn, the food on the grill, and the freedom to enjoy a beautiful September evening.
Happy Labor Day!
- BOOTS, BBQ & LABOR DAY! - September 7, 2026
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- Beat the Heat: Essential Summer Care Strategies for Your Horse - July 27, 2026
