Memorial Day 2023 events recognizing fallen service members in central Iowa
Memorial Day this year is on Monday, May 29, and can be celebrated with various events and ceremonies throughout central Iowa.
Memorial Day honors all soldiers who died during service to the nation. Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday in 1971, to occur on the last Monday of May each year, but its roots date back to the Civil War era. The observance was originally called Decoration Day, when individuals placed flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.
Here's what central Iowa has planned for Memorial Day this year:
Adel
The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery at 8:30 a.m. on May 29. Gov. Kim Reynolds will make a brief appearance, followed by the keynote speaker, new Adjutant Gen. Stephen E. Osborn. The ceremony will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/IowaDepartmentofVeteransAffairs.
Ames
The Ames Patriotic Council will host its annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday, May 29. Ames invites the entire city to the parade, and even encourages spectators, especially veterans, to join in walking in the parade. The parade begins at City Hall at 10:30 a.m. and will proceed north on Clark Avenue, then east on Ninth Street toward the Ames Municipal Cemetery, where the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
Des Moines
Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery and Highland Park American Legion Post 374 will host a Memorial Day program from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. on May 29 in an area in the southwest corner of the cemetery, known as the Atonement Garden. The service will include the playing of bagpipes, an honor guard, a gun salute and more. Individuals are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, and refreshments will be served following the service.
There will also be a Memorial Day Ceremony at Capitol Complex, hosted by the Larry Nehring Detachment of the Marine Corps League. The event will take place at 10 a.m. on May 29 and have speakers, laying of wreaths, a 21-gun salute and more.
Grinnell
Grinnell Memorial Day services will begin at 11 a.m. on May 29 at Grinnell City Park. The Grinnell American Legion Post 53, the Grinnell American Legion Auxiliary, the Grinnell Sons of the American Legion, the Grinnell VFW, the Grinnell Boy Scouts and the Grinnell Community Band will all participate in the event. While some seating is provided, the audience is encouraged to bring lawn chairs. In the case of inclement weather, the service will be hosted at the Grinnell Elks Lodge building.
Johnston
The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum in Johnson is hosting an event with various family-friendly activities to celebrate this Memorial Day. The event will take place Monday, May 29 from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 7105 Northwest 70th Avenue.
Marshalltown
The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a ceremony at Iowa Veterans Home on May 29 at 10:30 a.m. All public are welcome, but the event will also livestreamed at Facebook.com/IowaDepartmentofVeteransAffairs for those who cannot attend.
Urbandale
Urbandale will host a Decoration Day event on May 27 at Living History Farms in honor of the origins of Memorial Day. At this event, which runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., spectators will have a chance to see what Decoration Day might have looked like 100 years ago, as historical interpreters will be acting out a Decoration Day ceremony and procession. The day ends with a historic baseball game, played with the rules from 1876.
Waukee
Fleet Farm, 1300 SE Kettlestone Blvd., is hosting a taps sounding, as well as a moment of silence for fallen soldiers. This ceremony will take place May 29 at 3 p.m.
West Des Moines
The Tactical Fitness Studio, located at Valley West Mall, is hosting a Mindful Memorial Day event on May 29 at 6 p.m. This event honors the Mindful Memorial Foundation, which began in 2014. During this ceremony individuals will have the chance to honor fallen soldiers from Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Memorial Day 2023 events to attend in Des Moines metro area
