Doylestown a top Memorial Day town thanks to its historic, patriotic parade

Damon C. Williams, Bucks County Courier Times
·4 min read

Those looking to observe and commemorate Memorial Day in Bucks County should put Doylestown atop their list of towns to visit.

Doylestown was recently named a top-five Memorial Day destination, due in part to the popular and long-running Doylestown Memorial Day Parade. The federal holiday on Monday, May 27 honors military members who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Doylestown ranked among top cities for honoring Memorial Day

Doylestown's Memorial Day offerings have propelled it to third place on Sixt's list of "Top U.S. Cities for Honoring Memorial Day." Sixt is a luxury car rental and online vacation resource, and it combined data from news outlet Diarios and the Veteran Owned Business website to reach its conclusion.

Doylestown finished behind first place Charleston, South Carolina, and second-place Brooklyn, New York.

Wilmington, Delaware, ranked fourth.

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"Doylestown isn't just famous for its lovely architecture; it's also home to a truly historic Memorial Day parade. This tradition has been going strong for over 150 years, with over 1,000 participants and 15,000 spectators joining in the celebration," read portion of Sixt's review of Doylestown. "The town boasts an impressive 270 war memorials, including the iconic World War I Memorial Fountain dedicated on Memorial Day in 1922.

"While you're in Doylestown, consider checking out Sloan’s Thrift, a veteran and family-owned thrift store among Doylestown's 8 veteran-owned businesses," continued the review. "It's a great spot to find unique treasures and support the local community."

Declan LeBaron and his brother Caden LeBaron show their self-made signs to service members during the 2023 Doylestown Memorial Day Parade.
Declan LeBaron and his brother Caden LeBaron show their self-made signs to service members during the 2023 Doylestown Memorial Day Parade.

2023 Doylestown Memorial Day Parade: Doylestown shows up for one of oldest Memorial Day Parade's in America

Doylestown Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Memorial Day Monday, May 27

The historic parade is ready for another year.

"Last year, approximately 1,700 people participated in the parade, representing over 100 separate units, including eight local school bands, with an estimated 15,000 spectators looking on," read a portion of Doylestown's Memorial Day Parade website. "After a flag raising at War Memorial Field, the parade begins at Central Bucks West High School, moves east on West Court Street, then east on West State Street, north on Main Street, and finally east on East Court Street to Doylestown Cemetery, where it culminates with a 30-minute memorial service, during which the United Veterans of Doylestown place wreaths to honor our fallen heroes."

The Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes run Doylestown group will take part in the parade, and made a post on its Facebook page to encourage donations and participation. The foundation is named in honor of Bucks County resident and First Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed by sniper fire in the Al Anbar province of Iraq on April 29, 2007. He was killed while providing coverage to his unit.

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You can sign up through the Travis Manion Foundation's website to walk in, donate to, and volunteer for the Doylestown Memorial Day Parade.

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Is Doylestown's Memorial Day parade the oldest?

While the Doylestown Memorial Day Parade is indeed old — Doylestown hosted its first Memorial Day parade in 1868 — it may not be the oldest such parade in America. Rochester, Wisconsin, lays claim to the title with its first Memorial Day Parade in 1866.

Doylestown Memorial Day Parade history: On second thought, Doylestown's Memorial Day parade wasn't the first

Similar claims to having the nation's oldest Memorial Day parade have been made by Wilmington, Delaware, and Ironton-Lawrence County, Ohio, both of which, like Doylestown, said their first parade was held in 1868, both two years after Rochester’s first parade. Sharpsburg and Westminster, Maryland., each claim to hold the oldest Memorial Day parades in the US, but held their first parades a year after Rochester. Brooklyn takes a different tack, claiming it holds the oldest large-city parade in history, debuting in 1867.

Damon C. Williams covers trending and regional developments for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Dolyestown's Memorial Day Parade, history, tops Memorial Day list