2023 Memorial Day Parades & Ceremonies. Memorial Day not only kicks off summer, but more importantly honors past and present American Veterans. Bring your family out to one of the several 2023 Memorial Day activities listed below.
Check back often as more parades will be added as they come in.
Sunday May 28 Parades & Ceremonies
Blackstone
The parade will start promptly at 1:00PM. Rain or shine.
The route begins at the town common which is located on the corner of Main St and County St. and proceeds
down Main St. It will take a right turn onto St Paul St. and end in front of Blackstone Municipal Center located
at 15 St Paul St. There is a ceremony in front of the Municipal center (at approximately 2:00PM).
Monday May 29 Parades & Ceremonies
Auburn
The parade steps off at 10am from Bryn Mawr Avenue, Prospect Parkway and Rockland Road. See the full schedule of events HERE.
Boylston
The Memorial Day Parade begins at 10am at Pine Grove Cemetery and will march to the Old Burial Ground and onto the Boylston Town Common. There will be a bounce house, food, music and a plant sale at the common.
Brookfield
Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Brookfield Elementary School, 35 Central St. and end at the Town Common, Memorial Square. In the event of rain, assembly will be in the Brookfield Elementary School.
Charlton
The parade will start at 2pm at the entrance of the Masonic Home complex at 88 Masonic Home Road. Marchers will parade to Charlton Public Library. Memorial wreaths will be placed on the Town Honor Roll, and memorial rifle salutes will be given. Speakers and music performed by the Shepherd Hill Regional HS Marching Band will be at the end of the parade and ceremony. Charlton Middle School students will honor veterans with readings.
Clinton
The parade will begin at 9 am with a speaking program at Central Park. The parade will proceed down High Street to Water Street and finish at St. John’s Cemetery.
East Brookfield
Ceremony at Podunk Cemetery at 9:30am. Parade line up at 10:40am on Connie Mack Drive. Parade leaves at 11:00am to Evergreen Cemetery and then Depot Square.
Gardner
The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 am at the American Legion on Elm Street and proceed to Monument Park on Cottage Street for a ceremony, featuring guests, music, taps, and more.
Grafton
The parade will begin at 10:30 am. at North Street Elementary School, heading down North Street and arriving at Grafton Common at noon for a ceremony and flag raising.
Holden
The Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11am. The parade will begin on Main Street (Holden Recreation, across from the High School) and proceed towards the center of Town and end at the Post Office. The parade make stops at St. Mary Cemetery, Grove Cemetery, Park Avenue Cemetery and Old Burying Ground. There will be a prayer, Girl Scout song, rifle salute, and taps conducted at each stop.
Hubbardston
The parade starts at the Curtis Recreation Field on Route 68 in Hubbardston at 11:15 am and makes its way to the Hubbardston Town Common for a Memorial Day Ceremony. Event will be held rain or shine.
Lancaster
The Memorial Day program begins at 9am at the Town Green. After the program, the parade will go to North Cemetery for the laying of flowers and wreaths on graves, and taps will be played. The parade will then march back to the Town Green.
Leicester
The parade begins at 10:30am at Memorial School and will march to the Town Common, where a ceremony takes place.
Northborough
The ceremony will begin at the Civil War Memorial at noon and will continue at the adjacent Gulf War Memorial. The parade will step off from the memorials at approximately 12:15 and head east on Rt. 20, turning left onto Hudson St. and will stop at the Tri-War Memorial at the corner of Hudson/Pierce. The parade will then continue down Pierce St. turning right onto Church St. where we will stop at the WWI Memorial at the corner of Church/Whitney. The parade will then continue up Church turning right onto Howard St. then turning right into main drive of Howard St cemetery. The concluding ceremony will take place on the cemetery grounds. To view a map of the parade route, click HERE.
Northbridge
The parade will begin at 10am and proceed down Church Street to the Common, followed by a ceremony at Memorial Park.
Paxton
At 10am the parade from the Public Safety Building to the Town Common takes place with the ceremony to immediately follow.
In the event of rain, the ceremony will take place at 10 AM in the Paxton Center School cafetorium
After the Ceremony please join the Paxton American Legion Post 306 in paying respect (gun salute) at each of the three cemeteries in town:
1. Old Cemetery behind Congregational Church
2. Mooreland Cemetery at WWII Memorial
3. Worcester County Memorial Park (WCMP)
Rutland
The parade begins at 10am, and proceeds down Main Street to Rural Cemetery for memorial services, after that service, the parade returns up Main Street to the Town Commons for services.
Shrewsbury
Opening remarks begin at 9:20am at Town Hall, 100 Maple Ave. The parade steps off at 9:30am and heads towards the town center for a Memorial Day address. The parade then marches to Mountain View Cemetery Veteran’s lot.
Southbridge
The Memorial Day parade will at 10am, 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
The Memorial Day Parade will take place at 9am. The parade route will start at the American Legion and proceed down Main Street, a left onto Elm Street, a left on to Chestnut, left on to Maple Street back to Main Street and end at Issac L. Prouty Memorial Park. Memorial Day services will be held at 10am.
Sterling
The parade will begin at 11am at Hillside Cemetery and will proceed 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.
Sutton
The parade will begin at 11:15am at Sutton Common near Town Hall and proceed to Sutton HS on Memorial Drive for an 11:45am program and a flag raising.
Westborough
The parade will start at Pine Grove on South Street at 10:10am and proceed down South Street. The parade will stop at Midland Cemetery, and march to the Forbes Municipal Building for the 11 a.m. presentations.
Westminster
Memorial Day Parade begins at Lovell St at 11/11:15 and travels Main St to the Gazebo. Baseball and Softball players marching will be be able to toss candy to spectators. At the gazebo they will have recitals of the Gettysburg Address and Flanders Field, a guest speaker and musical performances. Festivities conclude with a chicken BBQ open to the public at the VFW.
Worcester
Although Worcester doesn’t have a parade, they have several ceremonies taking place throughout the city.
- Memorial Day Observance and Remembrance Ceremony at Hope Cemetery, 119 Webster St., 9am
- Wreath Laying at Massachusetts Vietnam Memorial, Green Hill Park, 11am
- Wreath Laying at Korean War Memorial, 52 Foster St., 1pm
For more events, see the WCKC Calendar!
