Washington, D.C., residents are gearing up for landmark Memorial Day celebrations this weekend, as the country participates in a yearlong initiative marking the semiquincentennial.
Among the events is the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, set for Sunday, where riders will motor through D.C. to raise awareness of prisoners of war, service members missing in action, and issues affecting veterans.
Here’s how you can make the most of Memorial Day Weekend in the capital city and honor the occasion.
The National Memorial Day Parade
The Freedom 250 parade will take place Monday along Constitution Avenue NW, between 7th and 17th streets.
The event starts at 10 a.m. and features historical re-enactors, veterans, and active duty military members. The pre-parade entertainment starts at 9 a.m. and includes live musical performances and celebrity appearances. Military bands from across the country will play medleys such as Sousa marches, while spectators cheer on military units, veterans, and patriotic floats.
The event, billed by organizers as the country’s largest Memorial Day parade, will also be filmed for a television special airing on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox stations nationwide.
The National Memorial Day Concert
The free concert will take place Sunday on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol at 8 p.m. The event will be live-streamed online and aired by PBS.
The concert has become a D.C. tradition, offering attendees musical and visual performances for more than three decades. This weekend, the event is expected to draw tens of thousands and will feature musical performances by award‑winning artists, the National Symphony Orchestra, and military choruses, interwoven with vignettes about service members and Gold Star families.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is holding a Flowers of Remembrance Day on Sunday. Members of the public will have the special opportunity to walk across the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza and place a flower at the tomb, according to organizers. During the event, visitors may also place a flower at headstones or columbarium niches throughout the cemetery.
The capstone event at the cemetery will take place Monday at noon. It will feature a wreath‑laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by a parade of colors and remarks from military leaders and dignitaries. The annual event is free and open to the public.
On Monday, Freedom 250 is also holding a major event at Arlington National Cemetery, billed as “a candlelight storytelling experience.” The evening will kick off at 8:30 p.m., will be open to the public, and feature veterans and military families, along with a special appearance and performance by Grammy-winning country artist Gretchen Wilson.
Freedom 250 will highlight several stories of people who sacrificed their lives, including Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer who died in Afghanistan. Members of the Eggers family are set to speak, in addition to veteran and national security leader Jason Beardsley, Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, and historian Mark Moyar.
The World War II Memorial
The National Park Service and the Friends of the National World War II Memorial are hosting a tribute at 10 a.m. on Saturday to over 400,000 Americans who lost their lives during World War II.
World War II veterans will lay wreaths at the Freedom Wall during the ceremony, which is free and open to the public. Registration is requested.
Taps across the National Mall
At 8 a.m. Monday, “Taps” will be played at 11 memorials and sites of future memorials in remembrance of those who died in military service. Visitors on the National Mall at that time are invited to pause and reflect on the day’s meaning.
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The solemn remembrance will take place at the African American Civil War Memorial, American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, D.C. War Memorial, Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Global War on Terrorism Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, United States Navy Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War I Memorial, and the World War II Memorial.