Free weekend parade, festival, carousel, remembrances and more in Fall River to honor Memorial Day

The City of Fall River’s Veterans’ Service Office in partnership with the Fall River War Veterans’ Council announces the City’s MEMORIAL WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS.

MEMORIAL PARADE will be held on Sunday, May 28th with a kickoff at 1:00 pm, from Kennedy Park at the corner of Bradford Avenue and South Main Street, traveling north on South Main Street to Government Center’s Official Reviewing Stand. Participants and parade attendees will then gather at Battleship Cove and Heritage Park for the FAMILY MEMORIAL FESTIVAL.

The MEMORIAL PARADE is being held on the Sunday in order to enable more citizens to participate and attend the parade, and to avoid conflict with many other Memorial Day activities that are typically held on Memorial Day, such as Family Cookouts and gatherings.

At the parade’s conclusion, the City’s Veterans are hosting a FAMILY MEMORIAL FESTIVAL at Battleship Cove. There will be live music by the band DOUBLE SHOT, free burgers and hot dogs for the children donated by Rolling Thunder and cooked by the Veterans’ Kitchen of Fall River. There will be free popcorn, candy, water, etc. provided for children, as well as face painting, arts and crafts and other fun activities. Battleship Cove will have its grand opening of their new Helicopter Exhibit with Vietnam War Re-enactments and the Fall River Carousel will be open with their Lincoln Park ponies. Food and Product Vendors permitted at no cost.

Other MEMORIAL WEEKEND ACTIVITIES include:

*CIVIL WAR REMEMBRANCE Fri. May 19, 2023, at 10:00 am Oak Grove Cemetery.

*FLAG DISTRIBUTION AT CEMETERIES starts on Sat. May 20th. Volunteers needed.

*CITY WIDE MONUMENT WREATH PRESENTATION Thurs. May 25th.

*WASHING OF THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL Fri. May 26th at 5:00 pm.

*ITALIAN WAR VETERANS’ WREATH PRESENTATION Veterans’ Memorial Park, Sat. May 27th

*VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL CANDLE-LIGHT VIGIL, Sat. May 27th, Veterans’ Memorial Park, starts at 7:15 pm, and include activities and a special sunset ceremony. Families and Veterans are encouraged to attend and participate in this beautiful, heartfelt, patriotic ceremony to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.

*POLISH WAR VETERANS’ MONUMENT Sun. May 27th, at 8:00 am with a Special Veterans’ Mass at Blessed Trinity Church immediately following with a FREE full course breakfast following the Mass in the Church Hall.

*GRIFFIN MONUMENT at GRIFFIN PARK, Sun. May 28th at 10:30 am.

*SNAKE HILL at NORTH PARK, War on Terrorism Veterans KIA, on Mon. MAY 29TH, 10:00 am.

*MILLER MONUMENT, Mon. May 29th, 11:30 am

All MEMORIAL WEEKEND ACTIVITIES and MEMORIALS are open to the public and welcomes additional participants; Veterans, public, private institutions, safety personnel, organizations, antique vehicles and motorcycles, non-profit and social service groups, etc.

To join in the parade or any event sponsored by the Fall River Veterans’ Service Office call 508 324-2832 or call the Fall River War Veterans’ Council at 508 951-6847/pd2071@aol.com