Here's how Worcester County is marking Memorial Day in 2023
WORCESTER - Almost every community has its own Memorial Day ceremony, honoring those who served in our nation's military. Check out this list to see where a parade or event is being held near you.
Auburn
Monday: The Memorial Day parade will begin at 9 a.m., forming on Bryn Mawr Avenue, followed by Prospect Parkway and Rockland Road, and will step off at 10 a.m. Hosted by the Chester P. Tuttle American Legion Post 279.
View here for a full schedule and lineup of guests.
Boylston
Monday: Katie’s 5K Road Race begins at 9 a.m. The race honors Katie Chalifoux, Boylston resident and graduate of Tahanto Regional High School who died at 23. For more information on the race, or to register to run, go to katies5k.com.
The Memorial Day Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery and will proceed to the Old Burial Ground and on to the Town Common.
The Boylston Garden Club will be holding its Memorial Day plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Common. Inventory will include perennials and annuals. Proceeds go toward beautifying 15 garden sites throughout the town.
Brookfield
Monday: Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Brookfield Elementary School, 35 Central St., proceed to Brookfield Cemetery and end at the Town Common, Memorial Square, with dismissal at noon. In the event of rain, assembly will be at the Brookfield Elementary School cafeteria and gymnasium.
Charlton
Wednesday: A ceremony will be held at the Masonic Nursing Home, 88 Masonic Home Road, commencing at 10:30 a.m. to honor the 40 or so veterans residing in the nursing home. The ceremony is open to the public.
Sunday: Post 391 will attend church services at St. Joseph's Church on H. Putnam Road, assembling at 9:45 a.m. Following the church service, Post 391 will place wreaths and conduct rifle honor salutes at each cemetery and at the Vietnam Memorial Bridge on Stafford Street.
Monday: Post 391 will host the annual Memorial Day parade, scheduled to step off at 2 p.m. Participants are to assemble at 1:30 p.m. at the main entrance of the Masonic Home complex at 88 Masonic Home Road. Marchers will head to Charlton Public Library. Memorial wreaths will be placed on the Town Honor Roll and memorial rifle salutes will be given. There will be honored speakers and music performed by the Shepherd Hill Regional High School Marching Band. Charlton Middle School students will read their selections honoring veterans. Following the ceremony, all participants are invited by American Legion Post 391 to enjoy a light lunch prepared by the Legion Auxiliary in the lower level of the Charlton Grange building.
Clinton
Monday: The annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9 a.m. with a speaking program at Central Park. The parade will assemble on Union Street and proceed down High Street to Water Street with stops at Woodlawn Cemetery and finishes at St. John's Cemetery.
East Brookfield
Monday: A ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Podunk Cemetery. Parade formation will begin at 10:45 a.m. at Town Hall on Connie Mack Drive and the parade will leave from there at 11 a.m. The parade will proceed to Evergreen Cemetery and then to Depot Square.
Veterans are invited to march or ride in vehicles that the town will provide. The parade and ceremony will also be joined by grand marshal and head of the East Brookfield American Legion Wayne Boulette, members of the Fire Association, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the David Prouty Marching Panther Band. Students from East Brookfield Elementary will recite Memorial Day poems.
Fitchburg
Sunday: The Fitchburg Veterans Council will host a 10 a.m. service at St. Anthony’s Church followed by brunch. A White Cross ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. at Monument Park.
Monday: The opening ceremony will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Monument Park. There will be prayers and volleys at cemeteries and monuments citywide, beginning with Eastwood Monument at 8 a.m., breakfast at the Eastwood Club at 8:15 a.m., St. Bernard’s Cemetery at 8:45 a.m., American War Monument at 9 a.m., Laurel Hill Cemetery at 9:15 a.m., Jewish Cemetery at 9:30 a.m., St. Joseph’s Cemetery at 9:45 a.m. and Forest Hill Cemetery at 10 a.m. The Memorial Day Ceremony will conclude at the Upper Common at 10:30 a.m.
Gardner
Monday: The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the American Legion on Elm Street and proceed to Monument Park on Cottage Street for the Memorial Day ceremony, featuring guests, speeches, music, taps, readings and more. Marchers will meet at 9:30 a.m.
Grafton
Monday: Cemetery ceremonies will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Old Farnumsville Cemetery in South Grafton; 7:45 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery in South Grafton; 8 a.m. at Sampson Square, South Grafton Common; 8:15 a.m. at Wenc Square at Main and Elmwood streets, South Grafton; 8:30 a.m. at Riverside Cemetery; 8:45 a.m. at St. Philip’s Cemetery; 9 a.m. at Old Indian Cemetery, 48 Oak St.; 9:30 a.m. at Grafton State Hospital on Pine Street; 9:45 a.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery, 20 Waterville St.; 10 a.m. at Washington Mills Bridge; 10:15 a.m. at the Quinsigamond Corner monument in North Grafton.
The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at North Street Elementary School, heading down North Street and arriving at noon at Grafton Common for a ceremony and flag raising.
Holden
Monday: The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. from the Recreation Department at 1420 Main St. The parade will proceed through St. Mary Cemetery, Grove Cemetery, Park Avenue Cemetery and Old Burying Ground in order, where a prayer, Girl Scout song, rifle salute, and taps will be conducted at each. The parade will end on Main Street at the post office.
Hubbardston
Monday: The Memorial Day Parade will line up at 10:15 a.m. at Curtis Recreation Field on Route 68 and begin at 11:15 a.m. to the Town Common, followed by a ceremony at noon.
Lancaster
Monday: Program begins at 9 a.m. at the Town Green. After the Memorial Day program, the parade, led by the American Legion, will proceed to North Cemetery for the laying of flowers and wreaths on graves and taps will be played. The parade will then proceed back to the Town Green.
Participants are asked to be at the Green by 8:45 a.m. The Lancaster band will perform.
Leicester
Monday: The annual parade starts at 10:30 a.m. at Memorial School and will proceed to the Town Common, where a ceremony will be held.
Leominster
Monday: Ceremonies will be held at St. Leo's Cemetery at 8:30 a.m., St. Cecilia's Cemetery at 9 a.m., Johnny Ro Memorial Park at 9:30 a.m., Respite at Franco American War Veterans Hall at 10 a.m., and GAR Lot at Veterans Cemetery at 10:30 a.m.
Parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Plot and continue through Pine Grove Cemetery before ending at Memorial Circle at Carter Park.
Milford
Saturday: Memorial Day Remembrance Walk and Lunch. Veterans are invited to meet at the Italian American World War Veterans of the U.S. Post 40 at 11 a.m. The group will walk 1 mile to Draper Park for brief remarks and remembrance, before returning to the ITAM for lunch. Register at Memorial Day Remembrance Walk and Lunch
Monday: The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at IHOP at 17 Medway Road, Milford, and march to the First Congregational Church on Congress Street. The parade is organized by the Milford Girl Scouts.
Northborough
Monday: The Memorial Day parade and ceremonies will begin at noon at the Civil War Memorial and the Gulf War Memorial with the parade stepping off at about 12:15 p.m. marching to the Tri-War Memorial at Hudson and Pierce streets, then to the WWI Memorial at Church and Whitney streets and ending at the Veterans Memorial/Flagpole in the Howard Street Cemetery. The concluding ceremony will take place on the cemetery grounds.
Northbridge
Monday: The Blackstone Valley Veterans Association team will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Granite and Church streets in Whitinsville. The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. and proceed down Church Street to the Common, followed by a ceremony at Memorial Park.
Putnam
Monday: The parade will step off at 10 a.m. Monday from the Grove Street Monument and follow Grove Street to South Main Street, under the train trestle onto Route 44, before turning right onto Kennedy Drive. The route will end just prior to Providence Street. Those marching will disperse just past the Dunkin' Donuts on Kennedy Drive into the shopping plaza near Moxie Hair Studio. There will be signs up in the area of Providence Street to remind those of the change in the parade route due to bridge work. The traditional route will be reinstated next year.
Rutland
Monday: Participants will assemble at 7 a.m. at Community Hall, 250 Main St., and at 7:45 a.m. they will proceed to New Boston Cemetery, West Rutland Cemetery, Brooks Square, Memorial Field and the Veterans Memorial for services.
The parade will start assembling at 9:45 a.m. in front of the Community Hall and step off at 10 a.m., proceeding down Main Street to Rural Cemetery for memorial services, after which the parade returns up Main Street to the Town Common for services.
Shrewsbury
Monday: Parade will form at 9 a.m. with opening remarks and depart at 9:30 a.m. from the Municipal Office Building, 100 Maple Ave. The parade will march to the Town Center (Route 140 and Main Street) where a memorial address will be given, and then continue to Mountain View Cemetery.
Southbridge
Monday: The parade will be at 10 a.m., starting in front of the Town Hall's GAR Monument and making a right onto Main Street. It will end at the Gold Star Mothers Monument.
Spencer
Monday: The Memorial Day parade will begin at 9 a.m. starting at the American Legion and proceed down Main Street, head left onto Elm Street, left onto Chestnut, left onto Maple Street back to Main Street and end at Issac L. Prouty Memorial Park.
Sterling
Monday: The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Hillside Cemetery. Buses for participants will start running at 10 a.m. from the Legion Hall on School Street to the fire station on Main Street, then to Hillside Cemetery on Route 62. Marchers will begin formation at 10:45 a.m. The parade will proceed to Oak Hill Cemetery, Old Cemetery, and down Maple Street to the Town Common for the observance program.
The Avenue of Flags will be on display from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hillside Cemetery, weather permitting. Anyone, including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, who would like to help honor deceased veterans should arrive at the cemetery at 7:30 a.m. to help raise the flags.
The event is hosted by the Hiram O. Taylor American Legion Post 189.
Sutton
Monday: Members of the Dudley-Gendron American Legion Post, SAL Detachment Unit 414, will visit cemeteries and memorial sites, starting with West Sutton Cemetery at 7:15 a.m. The parade will begin at 11:15 a.m. at Sutton Common near Town Hall and proceed to Sutton High School on Memorial Drive for an 11:45 a.m. program and a flag raising at noon.
Westborough
Monday: Ceremonies will be conducted at several parks and cemeteries including Veterans Minuteman Park at 8:30 a.m., St Luke’s Cemetery at 9 a.m. and Pine Grove Cemetery at 9:40 a.m. The parade will depart from Pine Grove on South Street at 10:10 a.m. and proceed down South Street, with a stop at Midland Cemetery, through the rotary and to the Forbes Municipal Building for the 11 a.m. presentations.
West Boylston
Monday: Girl Scouts will meet up with representatives from American Legion Post 204 at Darby's Bakery on Central Street at 8 a.m. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by the West Boylston Girl Scouts. Miru Kunst will recite the Gettysburg Address. The American Legion Firing Line will do the salute.
Worcester
Monday: The Memorial Day Observance Remembrance Ceremony will be at 9 a.m. at Hope Cemetery, Webster Street. A wreath-laying ceremony will be at 11 a.m. at the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Green Hill Park, followed by another wreath-laying ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Korean War Memorial on Foster Street.
To include your group's Memorial Day event on this list, send information to newstips@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester County Memorial Day parades and events schedule in 2023
