When Are Lyme-Area Memorial Day Parades for 2015?

East Lyme’s Memorial Day Event

On Monday, May 25, beginning at approximately 2 p.m., the Town of East Lyme will be hosting its annual Memorial Day Parade.

Route 156 (Main Street) will be closed at 1 p.m. from its intersection with Columbus Avenue, east to its intersection with Route 161 (Pennsylvania Avenue).

Traffic will be detoured north onto East Pattagansett Road, and then east onto Hope Street. Traffic will then continue onto Route 161.

There will be no on street parking on Main Street between Columbus Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue after 11 a.m.

The East Lyme Resident Trooper, in conjunction with officers of the East Lyme Police, will direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic to their destinations. Traffic barricades, detour signs and East Lyme Police Cadets will also be utilized to assist with traffic.

Old Lyme’s Memorial Day Events

Old Lyme’s Annual Memorial Day observance will be held on Monday, May 25, 2015 with Mr. Bill Appleby, Commander of American Legion Post 41 as Master of Ceremonies.

A grand parade will start promptly at 11 a.m. at the Lyme Street Fire Station and will proceed via Lyme Street and McCurdy Road to the Duck River Cemetery for a memorial service.

Invocation and Benediction will be offered by Chaplain Mervin F. Roberts, Chaplain of Old Lyme Fire Department.

Following the program, the parade will reform and return to the fire station where refreshments will be available to all parade participants.

The winners of an American Legion essay contest on “What Memorial Day Means to Me” will read their essays as part of the cemetery program. The Lyme-Old Lyme High School Band, New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums and a Rifle Squad from the Connecticut Army National Guard will participate.

Returning for this year’s celebration are the Lyme and Old Lyme Fire Departments, a contingent from the Connecticut National Guard and music provided by the Lyme-Old Lyme High School and Middle School Bands along with Deep River Senior Drum Corps and the New London Firefighters Pipes and Drums. A number of marching units representing local civic groups from Lyme, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook will also participate.

Parade participants are asked to report to the fire station not later than 10:30 AM for assignment to positions in the line of march which will form on the access road behind the fire station.

The Memorial Day observance is sponsored by the Old Lyme Fire Department with financial support from the Town of Old Lyme.

In the event of rain, the parade will be canceled and an appropriate ceremony will be conducted at the Middle School Auditorium at 11 a.m., followed by refreshments at the Lyme Street Fire Station.

Photo by Tallok, via flickr creative commons

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 21.