Memorial Day weekend events planned in the High Desert

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
Updated ·4 min read

Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.

Some will also host festivals, car shows and dinners as they kick off the unofficial start of summer.

Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.
Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.

Sunland Ford Victorville

Sunland Ford will host its 17th Annual Memorial Weekend Charity Car & Bike Show from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 at the dealership located at 15330 Palmdale Rd. in Victorville.

Presented by High Desert Fords and Mustangs, the event will include food, music, raffles, and trophies.

For more information, call 760-220-4487.

Victor Valley Moose Lodge

The Victor Valley Moose Lodge 1808 will host a Memorial Day Honor & Remember event from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 at 10230 E. Avenue in Hesperia. Dinner is $10 per person.

The band Cross Fire will perform from 4 to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit facebook.com/VVLOOM1808.

Haven for Horses

Haven of Horses will host its 3rd Annual Memorial Day Dinner from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 at 17911 Fresno St. in Hesperia.

The free dinner is designed for veterans, active-duty military members and immediate families. The public is also invited for a $5 donation.

To register, call 760-217-7717

Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.
Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.

Rockin’ Sykes Ranch

Rockin’ Sykes Ranch will host a Memorial Day BBQ from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 at 15392 Morada Rd. in Victorville. The free event is for veterans and active duty military.

To register, call 951-291-3264

Lucerne Valley

The Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce will host its Memorial Day celebration at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 27 at the Gazebo at Memorial Park at 32533 Highway 18.

Navy veteran Richard Kosobud will serve as emcee of the event. A Lucerne Valley resident for nearly 45 years, Kosobud served in the Navy from 1964 through 1968.

He was a machinist, made 3rd class petty officer, and was stationed in Long Beach. His Pacific ports included Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hawaii, and Vietnam.

The chamber is seeking volunteers to place flags on veteran headstones. Those interested will meet at 6 a.m. at Memorial Park. For more information, call 760-223-7164 or email Lucernevalleychamber@gmail.com.

Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.
Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.

Apple Valley

The Town of Apple Valley’s Memorial Day ceremony is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 27 at Civic Center Park at 14999 Dale Evans Pkwy.

During the event, veterans and community leaders will share a few words, and town staff will set out U.S. flags for the public to attach ribbons with messages.

Barstow

A Memorial Day Service is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27 at Mountain View Cemetery at 37067 Irwin Rd. in Barstow. Sponsor American Legion Post 324 is recruiting volunteers to place U.S. flags on veteran’s gravesites.

Those interested in helping will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday at the cemetery.

Desert View Memorial Park

Desert View Memorial Park will host a Memorial Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 27, 2024, at 11500 Amargosa Road in Victorville.

Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.
Organizations across the High Desert will host Memorial Day weekend observances to pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the U.S. military.

Oro Grande

A Memorial Day Service will be held at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 27 at the historic Oro Grande Cemetery located at 1414 Olive St. in Oro Grande.

Phelan and Wrightwood

The Tri-Community will host two Memorial Day ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27.

The first ceremony will be held at the Wrightwood Veterans Memorial Park, with the second ceremony at the Phelan VFW Post 9415.

The 16th annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Wrightwood Veterans Memorial will include a military fly-over. Pastor Dave Conrad will give the benediction, with Claudia Campbell singing the National Anthem. Boy Scout Troop 351 will raise the American flag, while the Girl Scouts will participate in the wreath-laying ceremony.

The Wrightwood Veterans Memorial Park is located on Evergreen Road in the Village.

The Phelan VFW Post 9415 event will include a flag raising and retirement by local Boy Scout Troop 351. The VFW Post is located at 4892 Nielson Road in Phelan.

Also, look for the VFW Auxiliary Poppy Distribution during Memorial Day weekend in front of Stater Bros at 4059 Phelan Rd. in Phelan.

Memorial Day

The honoring of fallen military members began as Decoration Day after the Civil War when families of both Union and Confederate forces began to decorate the graves of those who died.

This eventually became known as Memorial Day and was standardized to be celebrated on the last Monday in May by an act of Congress in 1968.

The list of Memorial Day events will be updated as more information becomes available.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Memorial Day weekend events planned in the High Desert