Memorial Day parades and events to check out in Canandaigua, other Ontario County towns

CANANDAIGUA — Yes, the Kershaw Park swim beach in Canandaigua opens for the season this Saturday.

But the long Memorial Day weekend is about much more than the unofficial start of summer. It’s about honoring the men and women who died in service for their country.

Communities throughout the Finger Lakes are holding ceremonies and parades.

Memorial Day commemoration on Saturday, May 25

The Cheshire Memorial Day commemoration will be held at 10 a.m. May 25 at the Cheshire Fire Hall on Route 21 South. After a program featuring guest speakers state Sen. Pam Helming and Peter C. DeMarco from Priority Thinking at the fire hall, a procession will head to Pine Bank Cemetery for a short service.

Prior to the Saturday program, Cheshire Community Action Team volunteers will be placing American flags along Route 21 and at Pine Bank Cemetery.

Ontario County events on Memorial Day

The actual holiday, Monday, May 27, will see many communities waving the red, white and blue.

— The Middlesex Memorial Day parade starts at 10 a.m. May 27 at the Middlesex Fire House, 5537 Water St., Middelsex. A ceremony follows the parade. Grand marshals are Rich and Bonnie Olswold. Ron Milton will be recognized as the honored veteran, and Paul and Joan Mitchell will be honored as dedicated citizens. The event will be held in memory of Leigh Williams and Barlow E. Coon.

— The Hopewell Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. May 27 at the town of Hopewell Memorial Park, next to the pavilion.

— The town of Farmington, along with the local AMVETS Post 332, will have a ceremony at 9 a.m. Monday at the North Farmington Cemetery. The gathering will take place at the flagpole in the area behind the church at the corner of County Road 8 and Sheldon Road.

— In Victor, American Legion James Cooke Post 931's Memorial Day parade starts at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Victor school campus, with marchers heading down High Street to the Village Hall parking lot, where a ceremony will immediately follow. The Victor Fire Department's pancake breakfast will be held from 7 to 9 a.m. at the firehouse, 34 Maple Ave.

— Canandaigua American Legion 256, 454 N. Main St., Canandaigua will host a ceremony at 9 a.m. May 27, followed by a parade at 10 a.m. down Main Street to Woodlawn Cemetery, 130 N. Pearl St.

Nearby Memorial Day events

— The New York State Veterans Cemetery will host a holiday observance open to the public at 2:30 p.m. Monday at 6632 state Route 96A, Romulus, Seneca County. Event highlights include the Hon. Denis R. McDonough, secretary of Veterans Affairs, as guest speaker; remarks from Commissioner Viviana DeCohen and Executive Deputy Commissioner Joel Evans of the state Department of Veteran Services; participation by elected officials, veterans and their families; an inspirational address by Hospice Chaplain Rev. Matthew Binkewicz; and a display of antique military vehicles and military honor guard.

— Immediately following the Memorial Day parade and speeches in Penn Yan, a ceremony will be held to unveil and dedicate a new historic marker at Courthouse Park. The marker honors veterans of all wars from Yates County. Doug Gibbs, director of veterans services for Yates County, will speak along with Vietnam veteran Robert Harper, of Middlesex. The blue and yellow marker was funded by the We Are Dwyer veterans organization. For more information, contact the Yates County Historian at 315-536-5147.

Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Memorial Day 2024 parades, events in Canandaigua, Ontario County