CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Memorial Day is a Federal Holiday observed on the last Monday of May every year, and this year it falls on May 29. Memorial Day is specifically dedicated to pay tribute to those who died while in military service.
Below is a listing of events happening in our region beginning on Friday, May 26.
FRIDAY, MAY 26:
LUDLOW– 3 p.m., wreath laying and 21-gun salute at several locations:
- Starting at Island Pond Cemetery then moving to
- SGT. Joshua Desforges Memorial
- Center Street Cemetery
- Civil War Memorial
SPRINGFIELD– 12:00 p.m., ceremony on the steps of City Hall. Immediately following, a memorial wreath will be placed at each of the five veteran monuments, located at Veterans Way across from City Hall.
SUNDERLAND– 6 p.m., ceremony and parade.
- At 6 p.m., Step-Off from the Town Office Building at 12 School Street
- Ceremony at Veterans Memorial – 12 School Street
- Parade from School Street down South Main Street to Riverside Cemetery
- Ceremonies at Riverside Cemetery
- Parade returns to center of town at approximately 7:15 p.m.
- INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN: Ceremony will take place at the Elementary School at 6PM.
SUNDAY, MAY 28:
CHICOPEE– 7 p.m., Candlelight ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans’ Plaza at St. Louis Avenues and Chicopee Street.
BRIMFIELD– 2 p.m., Memorial Day service on the town common followed by a parade
HADLEY– 2 p.m., Ceremonies held at four cemeteries followed by a parade.
- 10:45 a.m. MEET AT LEGION. A bus will transport to first four cemetery ceremonies: legionnaires, firing squad, colors, buglers, to clergy, select board, politicians, town officials, school officials, fire department, police department.
- 11:15 a.m. Russellville Cemetery 442 river drive
- 11:30 a.m. Plainville Cemetery 137 mount warner road
- 11:50 a.m. Old Hadley Cemetery 12 cemetery road
- 12:15 p.m. Hockanum Cemetery 199 hockanum road
- 12:15 p.m. MEET AT LEGION: Busses will transport to remaining two cemetery ceremonies: all participants that plan on marching in the Holy Rosary and North Hadley Cemeteries. This includes: Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, legionnaires, firing squad, colors, buglers, to clergy, select board, politicians, town officials, school officials, fire department, police department. The Hopkins Academy Marching Band will board the bus at Hopkins Academy.
- 12:40 p.m. Holy Rosary Cemetery 134 huntington road
- 1:10 p.m. North Hadley Cemetery 254 river drive
- 1:15 p.m. MEET AT LEGION: all ceremony and pedestrian participants that plan on being in the parade please meet at the legion no later than 1:30pm. Parking is limited. All buses with cemetery ceremony participants will drop off here.
- 2:00 p.m. Parade starts with flag raising and ceremony followed by Hadley Memorial Day Parade. Parade route from the Legion heads west on Route 9 and turns right up West Street where a ceremony will be held around the West St. Common to the General Hooker Monument.
LUDLOW– 7 p.m., Candlelight vigil & 21-gun salute at Veterans Memorial, 11 East Street.
WILBRAHAM– 11:00 AM Ceremony at Crane Veteran Memorial Park.
MONDAY, MAY 29:
AGAWAM– 7 a.m., Vietnam Bridge with West Springfield Veterans’ Council then moving:
- 7:25 a.m. American Legion Post #185
- 7:40 a.m. Springfield Street Cemetery
- 8:00 a.m. Granger School
- 8:15 a.m. South Westfield Street Cemetery
- 8:30 a.m. Agawam Center Cemetery-Across St. John’s
- 10:00 a.m. – Assembly point Agawam Middle School/Agawam Town Hall and march down Main Street to Veterans’ Green. Ceremony will follow.
AMHERST– 9:30 a.m., Procession from Town Common ending with a ceremony at the War Memorial Pool.
CHICOPEE– 10:30 a.m., Memorial Day Ceremony with the wreath laying at Veterans Memorial Plaza, 460 Front Street.
CUMMINGTON– Cummington American Legion Post 304 services:
- 8:30 a.m. – Worthington, memorial across from Town Hall
- 9:00 a.m. – West Cummington Cemetery
- 9:30 a.m. – Cummington, memorial at Community House
- 10:00 a.m. – Goshen, Goshen Cemetery
- 11:00 a.m. – Chesterfield, Veterans’ Park
- 1:00 p.m. – Plainfield, Hilltop Cemetery
EASTHAMPTON– 11 a.m., Emily Williston Memorial Library, 9 Park Street.
EAST LONGMEADOW– 10:30 a.m., East Longmeadow American Legion Post #293 marching to the flag pole at the East Longmeadow High School; the Legion will then perform the Memorial Day American flag protocol. Immediately following, a ceremony will be held in the high school auditorium.
GREENFIELD- 10AM, Parade begins at Greenfield Middle School and moves south on Federal Street to:
- Federal Street Cemetery, honoring those killed in the Revolutionary War
- continues south on Federal Street, east on Church Street, south on Franklin Street and west on Main Street, where services for veterans killed in the Spanish-American War will be held at the Greenfield Public Library,
- moves to the Common to pay respects to veterans killed in the Civil War,
- then travels west on Main Street where it will end at the Veterans’ Mall for final services.
HAMPDEN– 10AM, Parade leaves parking lot at Saint Mary’s Parish at 27 Somers Road and proceeds down Somers Road, turns right onto Main Street and continues on to the Veterans Memorial at Town Center where a wreath laying ceremony will be held.
HOLYOKE– 9:30 a.m., 22 push-up challenge in recognition of the 22 military veterans in the United States take their lives each day, followed by a 10am ceremony. Both events at War Memorial, 310 Appleton Street.
LUDLOW– 10 AM, Parade begins at Winsor & Worcester Streets moving to Veterans Memorial with ceremony following parade.
MONSON– 11AM., American Legion Post 241 will lead a parade procession down Main Street from the Monson Animal Clinic to Memorial Hall. After the parade (around noon) a ceremony will take place at Memorial Hall in downtown Monson.
NORTHAMPTON– 10:00AM, Procession beginning at Trinity Row ending at Park Street Cemetery followed by a ceremony at the cemetery. 4-7pm, concert at VA Central Western Mass, 421 Main Street, Leeds.
PALMER- 11AM, Parade begins at Lawrence and Thorndike Streets, moves to Central Street then to the Book Memorial at Converse School for a ceremony.
PITTSFIELD– 9AM, Procession begins at Pittsfield City Hall and moves to North Street, then north to Wahconah Street to the Pittsfield Cemetery where a ceremony will take place.
SPRINGFIELD– 10AM, St. Michael’s Cemetery Memorial Day Mass. Immediately following the mass, wreath laying at the cemetery’s War Memorial.
WARE– 1PM, Parade begins at the American Legion at 45 Maple Street and proceeds to the Veterans Park on Main St for a Ceremony.
WESTFIELD– 10AM, parade beginning at Mestek Company, 125 North Elm Street, moving south down North Elm Street, across the Great River Bridge onto Elm Street, south to Broad Street, turning right at the intersection of Broad Street and West Silver Street to Parker Memorial Park for the Memorial Day ceremony beginning at 11:00am.
WEST SPRINGFIELD– 7:00AM at the Vietnam Veterans Bridge, West Springfield (West Springfield Crossing into Agawam Side off of Front Street). VFW Dawn Patrol Schedule (Times are approximate and subject to Change):
- 8:00am Riverdale Rd Cemetery
- 8:45am Pawcatuck Cemetery
- 9:15am St.Thomas Cemetery
- 9:15am White Church
- 9:30am North End Bridge
- 9:45am Vietnam Memorial
- 9:45am Park Street then War Memorial
- 10am Ceremony at West Springfield Town Hall
WILLIAMSBURG– 1:00 p.m., Procession to begin on North Main Street, moves to Williamsburg Veterans Memorial for ceremony.