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 paying tribute to those who died while in military service.
Traditionally, communities commemorate the day with parades, ceremonies, and flagging of veterans’ graves. Below is a listing of events happening in our region on Memorial Day.
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. The 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, the 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- 10 AM, 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– 10 AM, Parade leaves the 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 who take their lives each day, followed by a 10 am ceremony. Both events were at War Memorial, 310 Appleton Street.
LUDLOW– 10 AM, Parade begins at Winsor & Worcester Streets moving to Veterans Memorial with the ceremony following the parade.
MONSON– 11 AM., 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– 10:00 AM, Procession beginning at Trinity Row ending at Park Street Cemetery followed by a ceremony at the cemetery. 4-7 pm, concert at VA Central Western Mass, 421 Main Street, Leeds.
PALMER- 11 AM, Parade begins at Lawrence and Thorndike Streets, moves to Central Street then to the Book Memorial at Converse School for a ceremony.
PITTSFIELD– 9 AM, 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.
SOUTHAMPTON– 9 AM, Southampton Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. The parade will begin at the Norris school, make a stop at the cemetery on College Highway and then continue down College Highway to the Town Hall parking lot, and the ceremony will take place on the lawn of the town hall.
SPRINGFIELD– 10 AM, St. Michael’s Cemetery Memorial Day Mass. Immediately following the mass, a wreath lay at the cemetery’s War Memorial.
WARE– 1 PM, Parade begins at the American Legion at 45 Maple Street and proceeds to the Veterans Park on Main St for a Ceremony.
WESTFIELD– 10 AM, 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 11:00 am.
WEST SPRINGFIELD– 7:00 AM 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):
- 8:00 am Riverdale Rd Cemetery
- 8:45 am Pawcatuck Cemetery
- 9:15 am St.Thomas Cemetery
- 9:15 am White Church
- 9:30 am North End Bridge
- 9:45 am Vietnam Memorial
- 9:45 am Park Street then War Memorial
- 10 am Ceremony at West Springfield Town Hall
WILLIAMSBURG– 1:00 p.m., Procession to begin on North Main Street, moves to Williamsburg Veterans Memorial for the ceremony.
