Memorial day weekend is finally here! Although the colleges have been out for a few weeks and the local schools don’t get out for a few more, for most, the last weekend in May is the unofficial start to summer. Finally, the time has come to lay out in the sun, head down to the beaches, and fire up the grill. But if you can pull yourself away from all the tanning or finally finishing that book, Residential Properties Ltd. is holding 18 Open Houses on Saturday and Sunday, many of which are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from those beaches that are your final destination. Joking aside, Memorial Day is the time we celebrate and remember the thousands of patriotic Americans who have sacrificed so much to serve our country. Originally known as “Decoration Day”, the holiday originated in 1868 after the Civil War, but didn't became an official federal holiday until 1971. As we honor all those in uniform since the American Revolution, let us especially salute the 46 residents of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sixteen towns in Rhode Island are having parades. Of that group, all are on Monday, except for the Charlestown parade, which takes place on Sunday. We have compiled a list of nearby Memorial Day parades in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts for your convenience.
| Town | Date/Time | Parade Route |
|---|---|---|
| Attleboro | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from 2 Hodges Street, the site of the former Knights of Columbus Hall, and ends at Capron Park, 201 County Street. |
| Bristol | Monday, May 28 @ 9:30AM | Steps off at the North Burial Ground on Hope Street, and will proceed south to the Bristol War Veterans Honor Roll Garden. |
| Barrington | Monday, May 28 @ 9:00AM | Steps off from the Victory Gates at Barrington High School, 220 Lincoln Ave., and ends at Barrington Town Hall on County Road. |
| Charlestown | Sunday, May 27 @ 1:00PM | Steps off from Ridgewood Road, and heads south along Old Post Road to King Tom Drive, just before Route 1A. The parade will make two stops: one to fire a salute in honor of those who perished on land and at sea, and one at the end of the parade, during observances at Ninigret Park, Route 1a, for those who perished in the air. |
| Coventry | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from MacArthur Boulevard and travels to the VFW Lodge on South Main Street. |
| East Greenwich | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from Academy Field and travels to First Avenue (Route 401). After pausing for a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II Memorial on Cliff Street, the procession will travel north on Main Street and conclude with a ceremony on the front steps of East Greenwich Town Hall. |
| Exeter | Sunday, May 27 @ 2:00PM | Steps off from Sunderland Road, and travels west on Route 102, ending at the Exeter Town Hall, 61 Ten Rod Road. |
| Foster | Monday, May 28 @ 8:45AM | Steps off from the intersection of Foster Center Road and North Road, traveling on Foster Center towards the memorial at the Ben Eddy building, South Killingly Road in Foster Center. A short speaking program will immediately follow the parade. |
| Glocester | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from the Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church, 1213 Putnam Pike (Route 44) and ends at the cemetery. |
| Lincoln | Monday, May 28 @ 11:00AM | Steps off from Smithfield and Reservoir Avenues at the Lincoln/Pawtucket line. Travels north on Smithfield Avenue to Walker Street and on to Dow Street, where it will disband at the Lincoln Center Center. There will be a free concert and refreshments. |
| North Kingstown | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from Wilson Park and will follow West Main, Brown and Phillips Streets through Wickford village and then onto Tower Hill Road (Route 1 South) to the Grant Army of the Republic Memorial on the grounds of Elm Grove Cemetery for the concluding ceremonies. |
| North Providence | Monday, May 28 @ 1:00PM | Steps off from the parking lot of North Providence High School and travels east on Mineral Spring Avenue. Turns left on Douglas Avenue (North-bound), and ends at Governor John A. Notte, Jr. Park. The event will be capped by an afternoon of festivities at the park from 12:00PM-6:00PM. |
| Scituate | Monday, May 28 @ 10:30AM | Steps off from the Scituate Town Hall and travels to the Town Common. Beforehand, there will be a ceremony at 8:30AM at the Town Marina. The festivities will conclude with a flag-raising ceremony and salute with the Satuit Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Veterans Cemetery on Cudworth Road. |
| Seekonk | Saturday, May 26 @ 10:00AM | Steps off from Seekonk High School 261, Arcade Avenue, and travels through town towards the Hurley Middle School, 650 Newman Avenue, where there will be festivities. |
| South Kingstown | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Begins at Holly Street, travels down Main Street, and ends at High Street in Saugatucket Park, Wakefield. |
| Taunton | Monday, May 28 @ 1:15PM | Begins at the intersection of Dartmouth, Coram, Bradford, and Adams Streets. Ends at Taunton Green. |
| Warwick | Monday, May 28 @ 9:15AM | Steps off in the rear parking lot at Bishop Hendricken High School at 1615 Warwick Avenue. Ends at Veterans Memorial Park, 2401 West Shore Road. |
| West Greenwich | Monday, May 28 @ 1:30PM | Steps off from the Coventry/West Greenwich line on Route 102. Ends at Town Hall for a Memorial Day service. |
| Westerly | Monday, May 28 @ 9:30AM | Begins at the Pawcatuck Shopping Center, 37 South Broad Street. Travels on Route 234 to West Broad Street, where marchers will stop at the World War I Monument for a brief ceremony. The parade will continue left on West Broad Street, through downtown Pawcatuck, and stop in the middle of the Westerly-Pawcatuck Bridge to cast flowers in the river in remembrance. The parade will continue through downtown Westerly and finish at the entrance of Wilcox Park on High Street, where there will be a ceremony held at the gazebo. |
| Woonsocket | Monday, May 28 @ 10:00AM | Steps off at the corner of Clinton and Cumberland Streets. Continues on to Worral Street towards the Korean War/Vietnam War Memorial, where there will be a wreath laying ceremony. Then the parade will march up Worral Street onto Social Street towards the Civil War Memorial at Monument Square, where there will be another wreath laying ceremony and a recital of the Gettysburg Address. The parade will continue towards Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, where there will be another wreath laying ceremony, and flowers will be thrown into the river. There will also be speeches. |
