Memorial Day roundup: Find parades and ceremonies in Northern Michigan
NORTHERN MICHIGAN — On Monday, May 27, people will gather in graveyards, at memorials and in downtown processionals to honor veterans who were killed while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Memorial Day will be observed in several solemn ceremonies across Northern Michigan:
Emmet County
Petoskey: The Carl O. Weaver American Legion Post 195 will begin its Memorial Day schedule at 7:30 a.m. on Monday by setting up the POW/MIA table in Pennsylvania Park. The display will remain up until after the Memorial Day program. At 8:30 a.m., an Honors Ceremony will take place at Greenwood Cemetery at the Veterans Honor Garden. Guests shoulder enter through the Sheridan Street gate. At 9:30 a.m., an Honors Ceremony will take place at the Festival Place Shelter for the “Lost at Sea” remembrance. At 10:30 a.m., the Legion Color Guard will lead the high school bands from the corner of Mitchell and Emmet streets to Pennsylvania Park in the Memorial Day parade. Following the parade, there will be a program in the park near the gazebo. At 11:30 a.m. the Legion will host an open house at the post, 455 Bay St., with light snacks and drinks for any veteran and their family.
Harbor Springs: The annual Harbor Springs Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Main Street. The parade will end at the waterfront with a ceremony at 11 a.m. The parade and services are organized by the Smith-Hoover American Legion Post 281. The American Legion will also host a Memorial Day Breakfast from 7-9 a.m. at the post and the public is welcome to attend.
Cheboygan County
Cheboygan: According to Cheboygan County Veteran Services, Memorial Day events in Cheboygan begin at 9 a.m. with a rifle volley at St. Francis Cemetery. Another rifle volley will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. At 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony in Washington Park and then another remembrance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park at 11 a.m. At 11:45 a.m., there will be a flag raising ceremony at Pine Hill Cemetery.
Wolverine: The Memorial Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the old firehall, ending at Memorial Park where there will be a ceremony. Following the ceremony, a memorial and reading of names will take place at Silver Lake Cemetery.
Mackinaw City: Mackinaw City kicks off its Memorial Day events on May 25, with an open house at American Legion Post 159 at noon and a parade from Conkling Park to Fort Michilimackinac at 1 p.m. According to a press release from parade co-chair John Lemanski, the annual parade has been in existence for over 50 years. The lineup include five high school bands, the Scottville Clown Band and the Petoskey Steel Drum Band. The Grand Marshall this year is Mackinaw City veteran Paul Allers. On May 27, American Legion Post 159 will lead a procession from the post to Veterans Park for a memorial ceremony. Following the ceremony, there will be a gathering at the post.
Onaway: VFW Post 5857 will host a flag retirement ceremony at 11 a.m. At noon, the march will set off from the VFW post to city hall for a Memorial Day ceremony. After the ceremony, there will be food and drinks available at the VFW post.
Charlevoix County
Charlevoix: Charlevoix’s Memorial Day observances are planned for 9 a.m. in Brookside Cemetery, followed by a downtown parade at 10 a.m. The Charlevoix City Band will also perform in East Park.
Boyne City area: Memorial services will take place at parks and cemeteries across the Boyne City area. The schedule includes:
8 a.m. at Memorial Park in Boyne Falls
8:25 a.m. in Memorial Park in Walloon Lake
9:15 a.m. at Evangeline Cemetery in Evangeline Township
9:15 a.m. at Dyer Cemetery in Bay Township
9:50 a.m. at the waterfront Veterans Memorial Park for the “Lost at Sea” ceremony
10:10 a.m. at Advance Cemetery in Eveline Township
10:45 a.m. at Wilson Cemetery in Wilson Township
11 a.m. in Maple Lawn Cemetery in Boyne City
The Memorial Day procession will leave the American Legion Post at 11:45 a.m. It will proceed to the Veterans Memorial Park where the Memorial Day observance ceremony will start at noon.
Village of Norwood: The Village of Norwood welcomes the public to attend its 78th annual Memorial Day observance. Starting at 8:45 a.m., American Legion Post 488 Ellsworth, the Jansen-Richardson post and members of the Kooyer family will conduct a ceremony at the Norwood Lakeside Cemetery. There will be flags, music, a message, a wreath laying, a gun salute and Taps played during the ceremony. Afterwards, there will be an open house at the Norwood Area Historical Society.
East Jordan: The Rebec-Hosler Sweet American Legion Post #227 will host a Memorial Day parade and ceremony, starting at 11:45 a.m. with the parade. The ceremony will follow the parade at G.A.R. Park. After the ceremony, the public is welcome to attend an open house at The Depot Teen Center from 1-3 p.m. with food and music.
Otsego County
Gaylord: Lineup for the Memorial Day parade begins at 9:15 a.m. by the Subway on M-32. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and marches down Main Street to the Veteran’s Memorial. The Ralph Holewinski VFW Post 1518 will lead the parade and then ceremoniously fold the 20’x30’ American flag at the memorial. The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at approximately 10:45 a.m. at the memorial in front of the Otsego County Building. U.S. Army Major and Otsego County Commissioner Jonathan Turnbull will be the guest speaker.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Memorial Day roundup: Find parades and ceremonies in Northern Michigan
