Looking for things to do in Monroe and West Monroe over Memorial Day weekend? Here's a list

Ian Robinson, Monroe News-Star
·3 min read

Memorial Day is around the corner and if you're looking to celebrate the day that seeks to honor those who sacrificed their lives on the frontlines, or just looking for something to do on your 3-day weekend, you have plenty of options.

Memorial Day was established to honor those who died in war. Originally called Decoration Day, the national holiday was created during the Civil War when citizens would place flowers on the graves of loved ones who had been killed in battle.

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These special events are scheduled during the holiday weekend.

  • The City of West Monroe, in partnership with the Blue Star Mothers of NELA and Downtown West Monroe, is hosting a Memorial Day Ceremony on Friday at 10 a.m. to toll the bell and read the names of the fallen soldiers from north Louisiana who sacrificed themselves defending our country. The event is free and open to the public. The bell tower parking lot is located on the corner of Trenton and Pine Streets in downtown West Monroe.

  • Held each Memorial Day weekend, the Run for the Red, White & Blue supports the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum. The race will be held on Saturday at 8 a.m. at the museum at 701 Kansas Lane, Monroe. The race will begin and end at the Museum with participants passing through the Flags of Freedom for the last quarter-mile and will be timed by McDuffie Timing. Online registration is available until May 27 at runsignup.com. The cost is for 5K participants is $30 with a $2.74 sign-up fee. The cost for 1K participants is $25 with a $2.45 sign-up fee. All participants with receive an official 2022 race T-shirt and all finishers will receive a custom dog tag.

  • La Bella, 231 DeSiard St., is hosting the Cottonport Concert Series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The line-up includes Zach Cox, Jordan Sheppard, Stone Letter, Vetus Morbis and Nicotine Howl. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students with school IDs, but free for kids under age 10.

  • The Sterlington Sports Complex, 1290 Louisiana 136, Sterlington, is hosting the ArkLaMiss Opener youth baseball tournament Thursday through Sunday. The four-game guarantee event features full social media coverage, player-of-the-game recognition, and tournament champion awards.

  • The Bayou Kennel Club and the Southeast Arkansas Kennel Club is hosting the Cottonland Cluster Dog Show on Thursday through May 30 at the Monroe Civic Center, 401 Lea Joyner Memorial Expressway, Monroe.

  • The Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Museum, 1501 Chennault Park Dr., Monroe, is hosting an exhibit – the Max Williams Collection from Monday through May 31. The collection, consisting of carved wooden objects from western Africa, was donated to the University of Louisiana Monroe. The museum is open  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 17 and under.

  • Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 480 Richland Place Dr., is sponsoring their Friday Night Lights on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Come out with the H2GO crew and enjoy the cool evening air for a fun group paddle around Black Bayou Lake!

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Things to do in West Monroe over Memorial Day weekend 2022