Punchbowl Blog

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

Memorial Day is coming up this Monday. Officially, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country. Unofficially, the holiday marks the kickoff to summer.

Many people feel that traditional observances of the day have diminished over the years. However, we found a variety of traditional celebrations that you can enjoy that honor the great men and women who’ve served our country.

Here are a few of the larger Memorial Day events happening around the country this weekend:

• The National Memorial Day Parade, Washington, DC on Monday, May 30 at 2pm — This annual parade in our nation’s capital draws over 250,000 spectators and features marching bands, parade floats, youth groups, as well as hundreds of veterans from World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, Little Neck-Douglaston, NY on Monday, May 30 at 2pm — This annual parade is billed as one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the country. With nearly 10,000 people marching in the parade, the sidewalks along the route are filled every year. Make sure to get there early to get a great spot to watch the festivities!

• Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade, Chicago, IL on Saturday, May 28 at 12pm — One of the largest parades of its kind, Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade begins with a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza at 11am. The parade itself features marching bands, veterans’ groups, and more.

• Fleet Week, New York, NY, May 25 to June 1 — Fleet Week is a celebration of the sea services — Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard — that has been held every year since 1984. Fleet Week includes a parade of ships, ship tours, air and water displays, and the opportunity for the public to meet the men and women who serve in those military branches. The highlight of the week is a ceremony on Memorial Day that includes a wreath laying, Three Volley Salute, unfurling of a 100-ft American flag, and military fly-over.

• Myrtle Beach MayFest, Myrtle Beach, SC, May 27 & 28 — Myrtle Beach has a bunch of activities planned to celebrate Memorial Day, including the Memorial Day Weekend Parade featuring Grand Marshall, John McCain. The parade begins at 9:30am. Additional highlights include free military concerts on Friday and parachute jump shows on Saturday.

If you plan to attend a Memorial Day parade in your area or want to get friends and family together for a cookout, rally your troops with a Memorial Day party invitation.

Enjoy the long weekend!

This entry was posted on May 25, 2011 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Holidays. Tagged: memorial day, parades. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.