Community

Memorial Day Ceremonies and Events Near You

May 26 2023

Celebrate Memorial Day in a meaningful way by honoring our fallen servicemen and women. With many ceremonies around town to choose from, there are several opportunities to carve out part of your Memorial Day to pay tribute to those to paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Memorial Service for Soldiers Rest

Saturday, May 27 @ 11:00 AM - Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery

In 1923, several years after the end of World War I, Houston’s Camp Logan housed many veterans from all over the world and the United States, particularly from the southern states. After an outbreak of influenza there was a need for a burial ground for those who had no families available to see to their internments due to financial difficulties.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 52 recognized the need and met the challenge to provide a final resting place for these Veterans. Money was raised and the Unit purchased a lot containing 42 grave sites at Forest Park Cemetery. The deed stated that the lot could only be used for burying the bodies of deceased men and women who were members of the military or naval forces of the United States of America during World War I. There was a further provision that the World War I Veterans who were dying in Camp Logan Hospital could also be buried in the lot.

The Records Division at Forest Park refer to it as the Veterans Cemetery but for the American Legion Auxiliary it will always be referred to as Soldiers Rest. Each year we meet to commemorate and decorate the graves of these fallen heroes. We also salute those members of ALA Unit 52 who put forward a hand of love to those in need and fulfilled their commitment to God, Country and their fellow man.

The community is invited to this special ceremony on May 27, 2023 at Forest Park Lawndale, located at 6900 Lawndale Street in Houston at 11:00AM. Street parking is available. For more information, please click here.

Memorial Day in The Woodlands

Sunday, May 28 @ 5:00 PM - Town Green Park

Celebrate the official start to summer at the annual Memorial Day in The Woodlands festival! The Sunday event pays tribute to all military service men and women who lost their lives while serving the United States. The festival features live music, children's activities, strolling entertainment and more at Town Green Park, located at 2099 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands. The evening concludes with a dazzling fireworks display* choreographed to a patriotic soundtrack. Concessions will be available for purchase. Please be advised the Festival beverage booth will be cashless. Guests may pay with cash but will need to have exact change.

A care package drop-off booth will be available onsite to accept donations of recommended items to be shipped to the troops. View list of recommended items.

EVENT SCHEDULE
5 p.m. - Welcome and National Anthem
5:10 p.m. - Live Music by Rapture (Variety)
7 p.m. - Keynote Speaker Colonel James B. Raney - United States Army (Retired) and "Our Community Salutes" Ceremony*
7:45 p.m. - Live Music by Rapture (Variety)
8:55 p.m. - Fireworks presented by Woodforest National Bank**

*Our Community Salutes helps communities recognize, honor and support local high school seniors who plan to enlist into the U.S. Armed Services after graduation. Attendees will have the opportunity to witness these individuals get sworn in as their military journey begins.

**Time approximate and weather permitting.

PARKING
Free parking, generously donated by Timberloch, Inc., will be available at the orange, yellow, blue and white lots at 2002 Timberloch Place. Other designated parking areas include:

The Town Center Parking garage and Gold Lot (2005 Lake Robbins Drive)
Parking lot located at 9669 Grogan's Mill Road
24 Waterway Parking Garage (located at the corner of Fountain Plaza and Lake Robbins Drive)
Waterway Square Parking Garage (between Fountain Plaza and Woodloch Court)
Surface parking lot along the corner of Waterway Avenue and Timberloch Place

Coolers, picnic baskets, blankets and lawn chairs are permitted. Glass is prohibited. For more information, please click here.

2023 Memorial Day 10K & 5K

Monday, May 29 @ 7:30 AM - St. Thomas High School

The Memorial Day 10K and 5K honors the men and women who have given their lives serving in the U.S. Military. It is the 4th race in the Houston Running Co. Holiday Series! All participants receive a chip-timed race, Memorial Day 10K/5K finisher medal, and unisex t-shirt. For more information, please click here.

2023 MURPH Challenge

Monday, May 29 @ 9:00 AM - True Form Gym Tomball

Come join us this Memorial Day in honoring fallen Navy Seal and Medal of Honor Recipient Lieutenant Michael Murphy, and all those who have served our country. After the Murph, we will have food and drinks to honor the fallen — and celebrate some of the BIG changes happening at True Form, located at 205 Houston Street in Tomball.

Free for all to participate- members and non-members alike. Donations will be accepted for Camp Hope - PTSD Foundation of America. The Murph consists of:

1 Mile Run
100 Pull Ups
200 Push Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Run

Can be done partitioned. Weighted vest not provided and optional. You don’t have to do the challenge. Just come celebrate with us. For more information, please click here.

Memorial Day Ceremony

Monday, May 29 @ 9:00 AM - Houston National Cemetery

The public is invited to this annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Houston National Cemetery, located at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive in Houston. This year's keynote speaker is John W. Boerstler, Chief Veterans Experience Officer. The ceremony will include special seating for former prisoners of war (POW) and purple heart recipients.

Assistance to find gravesite locations is available at the Administration building. However, due to the expected large number of visitors on Memorial Day, guests may choose to use the grave locator prior to their visit http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov.

The Houston VA National Cemetery was dedicated Dec. 7, 1965, and now encompasses some 419 acres of a former dairy farm in northwest Houston. The cemetery's focal point and the site of all special observances is the horseshoe-shaped building at its center known as the Hemicycle. It is its largest memorial and the most visible structure on the landscape. It is the only VA National Cemetery Administration-managed hemicycle memorial.

Burial in a VA national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces and Veterans who have met minimum active-duty service requirements, as applicable by law and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty under certain circumstances or who die while on training duty are also eligible for burial, as are service members and former service members who were eligible for retired pay at the time of their death. Spouses, minor children and, under certain conditions, dependent unmarried adult children are also eligible for burial even if they predecease the Veteran. For more information, call 800-535-1117 or visit www.cem.va.gov.

Memorial Day Ceremony in Sugar Land

Monday, May 29 @ 10:00 AM - Sugar Land Memorial Park

Each Memorial Day, we invite our community to join us as we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. The Memorial Day Ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. with a thoughtful and patriotic musical presentation. At 11 a.m., a formal tribute will begin, including words of remembrance by local dignitaries. The ceremony presenter and emcee will be Brigadier General (Ret.) Dave Van Kleeck, and the program will continue the community tradition of acknowledging the names of veterans engraved inside the walls of the iconic Remembrance Tower. The ceremony will close with a traditional flag observance at Noon.

Notable features of the event include:

Military vehicle exhibit
Military flyover performed by the Houston Wing of the Commemorative Air Force
21-gun salute
White dove release
Patriotic creation station for children’s patriotic crafts
Powder Fireworks
Food and beverage vendors onsite with items available for purchase

For more information, please click here.

Memorial Day Remembrance

Monday, May 29 @ 10:00 AM - Katy Magnolia Cemetery

Katy VFW Post 9182 and local representation will conduct a service with Honor Guard and special speakers. This ceremony will be held at the Katy Magnolia Cemetery, located at 6801 Franz Road in Katy. All are welcome.

Remember & Honor: Memorial Day Ceremony

Monday, May 29 @ 11:00 AM - Irene Stern Community Center

Join us for a Memorial Day Ceremony at Irene Stern Community Center on Monday, May 29 at 11:00 AM. For more information, please click here.

Memorial Day Ceremony

Monday, May 29 @ 2:00 PM - Bear Creek Park

In tribute to those service members who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, Commissioner Lesley Briones invites the public to attend Precinct 4’s 2023 Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 29 at 2:00 PM at the war memorial at Bear Creek Park, located at 3535 War Memorial Street in Houston.

The commemoration will include guest speakers Pastor Dr. Gregg Patrick and Marine Corps Lt. Col. Stephanie Drake, a 21-gun salute and Taps rendered by Houston Police Department Honor Guard, and flag and wreath ceremonies presented by Harris County Precinct 5 Constables Color Guard.

Patriotic musical performances – including our national anthem and “America the Beautiful,” are also scheduled.

The war memorial at Bear Creek Park was built in 1985 to honor Harris County residents who lost their lives in military service to the United States. For more information, please click here.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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