Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to head up to Mammoth Lakes to grab a few final days of summer fun in the Sierra Nevada mountains and, at the same time, check out the works of California artists and craftspeople at the annual Mammoth Lake Labor Day Festival of the Arts, Sept. 5-7.

A couple of Mammoth properties are offering special deals in conjunction with the Festival of the Arts and the long Labor Day weekend. Stay at Edelweiss Lodge, a collection of private cabins on Old Mammoth Road, for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and you can tack on Thursday and/or Monday night for free. Rates range from $140 to $210 a night. The Lodge's "shoulder season" rates go into effect after Labor Day weekend, with rates starting at $115 a night.

The Mammoth Creek, also on Old Mammoth Road, has a Labor Day special that's available Sept. 4-8. Stay three nights at this hotel/restaurant/spa and get a 10 percent discount, stay four nights and get a 15 percent discount.

The popular Festival, now in its 40th year, showcases the paintings, drawings, sculptures, and handicrafts of some 100 artists and artisans and also provides food and wine tasting, a beer garden, and entertainment for the kids. Admission is free to the three-day event, held at Sam's Wood Site in Mammoth Lakes. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 5-6 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7.

More information: Edelweiss Lodge, The Mammoth Creek, Festival of the Arts