Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will pay tribute to American workers this Labor Day with a patriotic lighting display on its iconic Ferris wheel. The Pacific Wheel will feature a dazzling 90-foot-tall, computer-generated American flag animation, accompanied by a brilliant lighting program of red, white, and blue colors and patterns. The seaside spectacle joins landmarks across Los Angeles in celebrating the spirit and contributions of the nation’s workforce.
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well being of America.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel featuring 174,000 LED lights that are mounted on the Ferris wheel’s 40 spokes and two hubs. The Ferris wheel’s lighting system features 16.7 million color value combinations to display dynamic, custom, computer-generated lighting entertainment. The eco-friendly, enhanced LED lighting provides 81 percent greater energy savings than most Ferris wheel’s traditional incandescent bulbs.
The Ferris wheel soars nine stories high and lifts riders more than 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean to offer extraordinary views of the Southern California coastline from its location on the internationally popular Santa Monica Pier.
