This Sunday, hundreds of people are expected to participate in the 9th annual May Day March, Rally and Festival in West Philadelphia.

The event, which is organized by May Day USA Education Committee (Facebook page) and co-sponsored by PhilaPOSH and the Pennsylvania Labor History Society, will begin at 1 p.m. in front of the McDonald’s at 40th and Walnut Streets, where the participants will gather for the march. The march will proceed to Clark Park at 43rd and Baltimore, and the rally will start at 2 p.m., followed by a festival, featuring food, music and entertainment.

This year’s rally will focus on the fight for a $15/hour minimum wage and feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, Black Lives Matter author Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, District 1199C President Henry Nicholas, and City Councilwoman Helen Gym.

The May Day rally is an annual event to honor the history of May Day and the many workers who died in the struggle for the eight-hour day in the 1880s.

More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

The 8th annual May Day USA march and celebration will take place on Friday, May 1 in West Philadelphia. The event will kick off at 2 p.m. in front of the McDonald’s at 40th and Walnut Streets where a rally will be held calling for a livable wage for all workers. After the rally the participants will march to Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) where a May Day family celebration will take place.

The Clark Park portion of the event is expected to start at 3 p.m. and will include the following activities and presentations, according to the event’s Facebook page: a DJ, live music, singers, poets, a BBQ by the Veterans For Peace Chapter 31 “Precision Grill Team,” children’s entertainment, and an array of notable speakers from Labor and other allied organizations in Philly. The annual Aggie Moran Human Rights Awards will also be presented.

The event is hosted by May Day USA Education Committee – Philadelphia (Facebook page), with participation by Fight for $15 and $15 Now organizations. The mission of this group, which was founded in 2006, is to educate people about the U.S. origins of May Day (celebrated as International Workers’ Day in many countries), so that “together we may reclaim our proud heritage.” For more information, go to May Day USA Education Committee’s Facebook page. You can also read about May Day here.