YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Saturday marked the first day of Youngstown’s third annual May Day Festival, and the community gathered to celebrate.

May Day is a historical celebration for organized labor and for many religious traditions to welcome the return of spring with song and dance.

The local celebration started at 12 p.m. at the Calvin Center in Youngstown.

The free event celebrates labor, climate justice and human rights and aims to bring together a variety of Valley organizations. There will be music, maypole dancing, workshops and speakers.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, there was a Memorial Ceremony to honor workers fallen on the job site.

Susie Beiersdorfer helped organize May Day and says this year, they’re honoring the memory of someone special: longtime activist and lawyer Staughton Lynd.

“He was so involved with anti-war, prison issues and labor,” Beiersdorfer said. “We will be honoring him both days and doing some solidarity singalongs.”

She says Lynd, who died in November, is an inspiration to May Day.

The festival is also happening from 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday.