Memorial Day Weekend 2023: Ceremonies In And Around Bedford

BEDFORD, NY — The upcoming Memorial Day ceremonies in Bedford are part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

Memorial services and several parades in and around Bedford are the highlights before and during the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 27-29 this year.

On Friday, May 26, the Westchester County Memorial Service will take place at 1 p.m. at the Lasdon Park Veterans Memorial.

On Monday, May 29, several parades and events will take place in the area:

• 9 a.m.: Bedford Hills Memorial Day Parade, Babbitt/Glen
• 9:30 a.m.: North Salem Memorial Day Parade, start at Oak Ridge Road, follow Titicus Road to memorial in front of Westchester Exceptional Chidren's School, remarks from Town Supervisor Warren Lucas, followed by North Salem Lions club serving refreshments on Purdy's Field
• 10 a.m.: Katonah Memorial Day Parade, Katonah Fire House
• 10 a.m.: Golden's Bridge Fire Department Community Parade, followed by special memorial wreath ceremony, refreshments
• 11 a.m.: Bedford Village Memorial Day Parade, Seminary/Pound Ridge
• 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Bedford Historical Society Memorial Day: 1829 School House tours, colonial games, ice cream; Village Green, Bedford
• 12 p.m.: Pound Ridge Memorial Day Parade, march from Pound Ridge Elementary School down Westchester Ave. to ceremony at cemetery, followed by bbq & music at Town Park; Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Hedges will be keynote speaker & his daughter, American Idol Platinum Ticket Winner Kalylin Hedges, will sing at the ceremony.
• 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.: Katonah American Legion Cookout
• 12:15 p.m.: Lewisboro Memorial Day Parade & Services, Spring/Lake Shore

Below are some other events and parades nearby:

• On Monday, May 29, the New Castle Memorial Day Parade will kick off with a monument ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in Victory Corners (King St. & Bedford Road). At 11 a.m., the parade will step off Ridgewood Terrace, and at 11:30 a.m., a Memorial Plaza Ceremony will take place at the Chappaqua Train Station.
• On Tuesday, May 30, the Mount Kisco Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony will kick off at 6 p.m., at the Green Street firehouse. It will then continue down Main St. to the memorial in front of the library. The American Legion will serve refreshments after the ceremony.

As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit Hudson Valley cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.

Memorial Day Weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer in the Hudson Valley. Below are more ways to spend the weekend:

• Rye: Playland Park is open for the season as of May 20.
• Croton-on-Hudson: Croton Point Beach pre-season begins May 27.
• New Rochelle: Glen Island Beach pre-season begins May 27.
• Westchester County: Golf courses are open. For more information, go here.
• Stormville: Stormville Airport Flea Market, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, Stormville Airport.
• Fishkill: SplashDown Beach’s Opening Weekend, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday, May 27-29, Fishkill.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.