Rolling Thunder to Roar Into DC From Arlington This Weekend -- Here's Where to Avoid [MAP]

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which means we're about to be surrounded by the rumble of motorcycle engines all weekend long as thousands of veterans stream into Arlington and D.C. Their arrival will culminate in a huge ride from the Pentagon to the National Mall that will result in major road closures this Sunday.

Bikers will begin streaming in on Friday, May 27, for a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 9 p.m. The next day, Thunder Alley -- the official vendor site for Rolling Thunder -- will open at 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

That will lead up to the main event at noon on Sunday, May 29, when the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Run begins, as bikers leave the North Pentagon parking lot in Arlington and ride up Washington Boulevard and across the Memorial Bridge to the National Mall. They will ride down Constitution Avenue toward the Capitol and then head back toward the Lincoln Memorial down Independence Avenue before ending at West Potomac Park, where they will "pay tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters," according to the Rolling Thunder Run website.

The roads depicted in the map above will be shut down from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The last event for the Rolling Thunder will be on Memorial Day, May 30. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, a Memorial Day observance at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National Memorial Day Parade and finally a National Moment of Remembrance.

"The Rolling Thunder Run mission is to educate, facilitate and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War," the website states. "Rolling Thunder has also evolved into a display of patriotism and respect for all who defend our country."

Image via Rolling Thunder