Memorial Day Parades

By Maureen Daly

This weekend our area Memorial Day parades will be full display, as the post-Covid world returns back to normal.

Memorial Day goes back to May 5, 1868, when the Organization of United Veterans called for a day to honor the fallen war dead from the American Civil War, and earlier wars.

The US Army established "Decoration Day" as a day to decorate the graves of our fallen military, and May 30 was chosen as the date because flowers would be in bloom throughout the nation on that day.

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson and the United States Congress officially declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day, to honor the fallen who served our country.

This year there are several opportunities to commemorate and honor our service men and women, and those who have fallen in battle:

Saturday, May 27, Port Washington will host the Memorial Day Commemoration and Fireworks Extravaganza, Festivities begin at 6:30 PM.

Monday, May 29, at 9AM the Locust Valley Memorial Day Parade steps off on Forest Avenue in Locuat Valley.

Monday, May 29, Rayham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay will hold an open house and Memorial Day Parade starting at 10 AM.

Monday, May 29, the Greenlawn Fire Department will hold a Parade at 9AM starting at East Maple Road and Broadway.

Monday, May 29, at 10AM the Elwood Commack VFW Parade sets off from the Home Depot SW parking lot.

Monday, May 29 at 10AM the Centerport Fire Department steps off at Centershore Road and Harrison Drive

Monday, May 29 at 11AM the American Legion Parade sets off from the Post Office in downtown Huntington.

Monday, May 29 at 12:15PM the Knights of Columbus parade sets off from the IGA parking lot in East Northport.