Events and parades planned to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military

Memorial Day is May 30, a time to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Here is a listing of events taking place throughout the area:

PARADES

• Buchanan — At 10 a.m. May 30, the Buchanan Memorial Day parade will begin downtown and travel to the Buchanan Cemetery.

• Cassopolis — At 10 a.m. May 30, the Memorial Day parade will begin in downtown and end with a program at 11 a.m. at the Prospect Hill Cemetery. Rides to the cemetery are available from the VFW post, 131 S. Broadway, for those unable to walk to the cemetery. There also will be a free lunch at the VFW after the program for all veterans, sponsored by the Cassopolis Fire Department.

• Dowagiac — At 10:30 a.m. May 30, a short ceremony to honor veterans will take place outside of City Hall. The ceremony includes a featured speaker and performances by the high school and Kalamazoo bagpipe bands. The parade will then proceed to Riverside Cemetery for veteran’s services.

• Edwardsburg — At 11 a.m. May 30, the Edwardsburg Memorial Day parade will begin at the middle school and end at the cemetery.

• Elkhart — At 2 p.m. May 30, the Elkhart Memorial Day Parade will begin near the downtown Post Office and end at Lexington and Waterfall Drive.

• Galien — At 1 p.m. May 30, the Galien Memorial Day parade will begin.

• Middlebury — At 10 a.m. May 30, the Memorial Day parade will travel up Main Street to Memorial Park. There will be a short program in the park and then the American Legion Post 210 Honor Guard will march from the park to Grace Lawn Cemetery, stopping at the river to honor Navy veterans. At the cemetery, there will be a reading of the roster of more than 850 veterans who have served during war time beginning with the Civil War.

• Nappanee — At 10:30 a.m. May 30, the Memorial Day parade will begin at Nappanee Elementary School, go west on Centennial Street to Indiana 19, south to Lincoln Street, west to City Hall. At 11 a.m. there will be a short ceremony on the south lawn at City Hall.

• Niles — At 9 a.m. May 30, the American Legion Larue Messenger Post 26 will host the Memorial Day parade beginning at the corner of State and West Main Streets and end at Silverbrook Cemetery.

• Osceola — At 8 a.m. May 30, the Osceola Memorial Day parade will travel west on Lincoln Way to Grand Boulevard.

• St. Joseph — At noon May 27, the St. Joseph Memorial Day parade will begin at the intersection of Lake Boulevard and Park Street and will finish at the John E.N. Howard Bandshell. There will be a short program at the bandshell honoring those who served. Veterans and active-duty military are invited to join the parade.

EVENTS

• Beverly Shores — There will be a free Memorial Celebration Honoring Veterans at 11 a.m. CDT May 21 at the Beverly Shores Museum and Art Gallery, 525 Broadway. The service will feature a 21-gun salute and taps by representatives of American Legion Post 37 and patriotic songs by the seventh-grade choir from Kreuger Middle School. Refreshments will be served.

• Bremen — Volunteers are asked to help place 1,000 flags on all graves of local warriors to honor and remember their legacy. Adults and children are invited to help. Meet at the mausoleum in Bremen Cemetery, East Second Street, at 9 a.m. May 21.

• Edwardsburg — A Memorial Day celebration festival will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 30 at Gunn Park, 67564 Lake St. There will be food vendors and arts and craft vendors.

• Elkhart — Ruthmere is offering free admission to all active duty service men and women and their families to the museum on May 29 as part of the Patriotic Program Series and Blue Star Museums program. Tours are at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Ruthmere is located at 302 E. Beardsley Ave.

• Granger — Homes for Heroes will be honoring those who have served by placing flags on veteran’s graves May 27. Starting at noon, the group will gather at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 375 W. Cleveland Road, to place 300 flags in the veteran section of the cemetery.

• Middlebury — The American Legion Mark L. Wilt Post 210 will hold its overnight vigil at Grace Lawn Cemetery, 300 Eastern Star Drive, on May 29 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday morning.

• Mishawaka — The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 161 will hold Memorial Day cemetery services beginning at 10 a.m. May 30 at Little St. Joseph Cemetery, 357 W. Jefferson Blvd.; 10:15 a.m. at Mishawaka City Cemetery, 1300 N. Main St.; 10:30 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery, 1415 N. Main St.; then finish at 11 a.m. on the footbridge at Battell Park, 301 W. Mishawaka Ave. At each service there will be short reading, prayer, gun salute and wreath laying.

• Mishawaka — The third annual Memorial Day Kids Dash will be held at 8 a.m. May 30 at Battell Park, 301 W. Mishawaka Ave. Children will run either a 100-, 200- or 300-yard dash. Registration is closed, but everyone is invited to watch.

• Mishawaka — A Memorial Day Weekend Fundraiser for SA Ryan A. Balmer Veterans Memorial Fund will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 28 and 29 at the corner of 12th Street and Wedgewood Drive (½ mile west of Capital Avenue). This event is a freewill donation rummage sale with vendors and a hot dog stand also on site. Cash, credit and debit cards accepted. All proceeds go to supporting local veterans and their families.

• North Judson — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum is hosting “Soldiers & Civilians in History” in conjunction with train excursions on May 28. Numerous living history reenactors, camps and displays along with military vehicles will be on the museum grounds. Round-trip trains depart at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. (CDT). Advance train reservations are recommended, because seating is limited. Train tickets are $14-$10, purchase at hoosiervalley.org. The museum is free.

• South Bend — The John Auten Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will present a Civil War-era Memorial Day Program at 10 a.m. May 30 at Bowman Cemetery, 2400 Miami St. The Sons of Union Veterans represent the lineal descendants of members of the Grand Army of the Republic.

• South Bend — The Studebaker National Museum is offering free admission to U.S. military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day as part of the Blue Star Museums program. A military ID is required. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

• South Bend — The History Museum is offering free admission to all active U.S. military personnel and their families from Armed Forces Day (May 21) through Labor Day as part of the Blue Star Museums program. A military ID is required. Admission includes all exhibits as well as guided tours of the Oliver Mansion. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

• South Bend — The Greene Township Lions Club will hold a Memorial Day Service from 2 to 2:45 p.m. May 29 at Sumption Prairie Cemetery, corner of Sumption Prairie and Kern Roads. There will be a flag raising, a speaker, and a cannon and gun salute. All veterans are invited.

• Syracuse — Chautauqua-Wawasee and Syracuse American Legion Post 223 will sponsor “Taps Across the Water” on May 29. The event begins at dusk to honor and mourn military personnel who have died in the performance of their duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces. A moment of silence will be observed by all in attendance at 9:08 p.m. At 9:09 p.m., taps will sound simultaneously by buglers strategically placed on Wawasee, Syracuse Lake and Papakeechie Lake.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Memorial Day 2022 parades and events planned for the Michiana area