Parades, ceremonies, boat race: How SouthCoast will commemorate Memorial Day
Gone but never forgotten.
On Monday, May 27, communities locally and across the nation will gather to salute their fallen heroes with Memorial Day events.
Considered by many these days as a three-day weekend celebrating the unofficial kickoff to summer, Memorial Day was created for a more somber purpose.
The federal holiday was established in 1971 to honor America's men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Across the U.S., it is marked by parades, solemn observances at cemeteries or memorials and more.
Here is a look at this year's Memorial Day events planned across Greater Fall River and New Bedford:
Dartmouth
Monday, May 27: The Memorial Day Parade will kick off at 9 a.m. at the Town Landing on Gulf Road. It will proceed to Bridge Street, stop on the Padanaram Bridge and Causeway for a wreath laying service with the local Boy Scouts, then proceed to the Elm Street Cemetery for a short service. The route ends at the World War I memorial outside the old police station on Russells Mills Road, where closing ceremonies will take place. Gold Star father Gerald Enos, whose son Peter died in Iraq in 2004, will serve as grand marshal of this year's parade. About 30 community groups will be marching, along with an M35 series 2.5-ton military truck and various emergency vehicles.
Fairhaven
Monday, May 27: Fairhaven's annual Memorial Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m., beginning at Union and Main streets, heading north to Fairhaven High School, and then continuing to Riverside Cemetery for a ceremony.
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Fall River
Saturday, May 25:
Italian American War Veterans Ceremony at 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial (Bicentennial) Park, followed by a Gold Star Families Candlelight Vigil at 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, May 26:
- Polish War Veterans Monument Ceremony, Mass, and breakfast, 8 a.m. at Blessed Trinity Parish
- Memorial Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at Griffin Park
- Rolling Thunder MA Ch. 2 Ride for Freedom and ceremony: The ride starts at noon at Plainridge Casino and ends at Bicentennial Park, followed by a ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Monday, May 27:
- Ceremony at 9 a.m. at the War on Terrorism Monument at North Park
- Kennedy Park Monument ceremony at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Memorial Day Parade on South Main Street. The parade steps off at 11 a.m.
- Ceremony after the parade at 11:45 a.m. at Government Center
Events will be held rain or shine.
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Lakeville
Monday, May 27: The Lakeville Historical Commission will host its annual Memorial Day observance starting at 10:30 a.m. with remarks in front of the Veterans’ Memorial Stone at the fire station and town office building, 346 Bedford St. The group will then continue to World War I Memorial Dickran Diran Square, and end at the 1856 Town House, which will be open for a veterans’ display and refreshments. Ceremonial wreath-layings will take place along the way. In case of inclement weather, the program will take place at the National Register 1856 Historic Town House, at Route 18 and Precinct Street.
Marion
Monday, May 27: The town will host its annual Memorial Day Remembrances and Procession starting at 9 a.m. in front of the Music Hall, 164 Front St. The procession will then march 0.6 miles up Front Street to the Veterans’ Memorial at Old Landing, where the the town will pay tribute to its fallen heroes with a wreath-laying. The event will feature the Sippican School Marching Band, as well as The Portuguese American Band. The master of ceremonies will be Technical Sergeant Mandy Givens of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. The featured speaker is longtime Marion resident Charles A (Charlie) Brown, a military veteran and three-time Purple Heart recipient. Residents are encouraged to attend the remembrances as well as stand along the parade route on Front Street between Cottage Street and Ryder Lane. In the event of rain, the event will be relocated to the Multipurpose Room of Sippican Elementary School.
Mattapoisett
Monday, May 27: The American Legion Post 280 and The Tri-Town Veterans Office are hosting the annual Mattapoisett Memorial Day Ceremony at Center School, 17 Barstow St., at 1:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Pete O'Brien USMC (Ret), and there will be performances by the Old Hammondtown Band and the Showstoppers.
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Middleboro
Monday, May 27: This year's Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will honor AJ Lapanna, a lifelong Middleboro resident, police officer and U.S. Army veteran. The parade steps off from the Town Hall at 10 a.m. and goes through the center of town. A ceremony will follow the parade at the Veterans Memorial on the Town Hall lawn.
New Bedford
Saturday, May 25:
9 a.m. at Rural Cemetery, 149 Dartmouth St. - The Greater New Bedford Civil War Roundtable will conduct its annual Remembrance Service in the Civil War section of the cemetery. The service will include a wreath-laying, presentations of Logan’s Order and the Gettysburg Address, musical selections, and keynote remarks from Mayor Jon Mitchell.
Sunday, May 26:
10 a.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery, 1100 Ashley Blvd. - New Bedford American Legion Post One will conduct a Memorial Day exercise at the Veterans’ plot.
12 p.m. at City Hall, 133 William St. - New Bedford American Legion Post One will conduct a Memorial Day exercise at the Vietnam Veterans’ Honor Roll on the William Street side of the building.
Monday, May 27:
8:15 a.m. at Rural Cemetery, 149 Dartmouth St. - New Bedford American Legion Post One will conduct a Memorial Day exercise at the Veterans’ plot.
10 a.m. at Pier 3, 51 MacArthur Drive - The New Bedford Port Society’s annual Fishermen’s Memorial Day Service will follow a procession from Seamen's Bethel. In the event of rain, the event will be held inside Seamen's Bethel.
11:30 a.m. New Bedford Memorial Day Parade
The parade will form at the intersection of Hathaway Boulevard and Parker Street beginning around 10:30 a.m. before stepping off at 11:30 a.m. It will march east on Parker Street to County Street, where it will turn left and head north on County Street. The parade will then turn right to head east on Pope Street, where it will make its final turn into Clasky Common Park.
There will be a Memorial Day service at the reviewing stand at the conclusion of the parade, which includes the reading of the Gettysburg Address, Logan’s Orders, and roll call of New Bedford veterans who have died. Family and friends of veterans who have passed away are invited to bring a flower to the service and place it at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in remembrance.
Police note that a parking ban along the entire parade route will be strictly enforced.
Rochester
Sunday, May 26: A Memorial Day event is planned for noon at the Rochester Town Hall, which will include selected readings, a short procession to Daggett Square, with additional readings and music.
Monday, May 27: The Rochester Fire Department will sponsor the annual Rochester Memorial Day Boat and Kayak Race on the Mattapoisett River. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. at Grandma Hartley's Reservoir, Snipatuit Road in Rochester, and finishes at the Mattapoisett Herring Weir at River Road and Route 6.
Somerset
Monday, May 27: The annual Memorial Day parade starts at 10 a.m. at Somerset Berkley Regional High School. It steps off at Luther Avenue, travels down County Street to Center Street, down Center Street to the World War I Memorial for a wreath-laying. The procession then continues on Riverside Avenue to Wood Street, up Wood Street to County Street, and then left to the VFW, where events will wrap up with a short ceremony at the VFW Post 8500.
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Swansea
Saturday, May 25: Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial Green, 59 Garners Neck Road, Swansea, on Saturday, at 10 a.m.
Westport
Monday, May 27: A parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at Westport Town Hall, 816 Main Road, with the placing of a wreath, rifle salute, and playing of TAPS at the World War I monument. The half-mile-long parade -- which will include service members, veterans, veterans’ organizations, Gold Star families, elected officials, police and fire departments, Scout troops, school bands, color guards, and civic organizations -- will then proceed south along Main Road, ending at Beech Grove Cemetery. There will be a ceremony at the Veterans Monument in Beech Grove Cemetery following the parade at 10 a.m. In the event of bad weather, the parade will be canceled and the ceremony will be held at the Town Hall Annex Gym, at 856 Main Road, at 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Memorial Day 2024 events planned in Greater Fall River and New Bedford
