Memorial Day Weekend: Celebrations, Events In Montgomery County

BETHESDA, MD — If you are looking for ways to show your gratitude to the service members who've lost their lives while defending our country, then you have plenty of opportunities to do so in Montgomery County this year.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and originated in the years following the Civil War. It became an official federal holiday in 1971, and many Americans observe it by visiting cemeteries or memorials, at family gatherings, and by participating in parades. It also marks the unofficial beginning of summer.

Here is a list of Memorial Day events in Montgomery County leading up to Monday, May 27:

Bethesda

Memorial Day Observance

The General William Smallwood Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will hold its annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday. The event is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Bethesda.

Rockville

Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony at Hometown Holidays Music Festival

Starting Saturday, the streets of Rockville Town Center will come alive with colorful floats, musical performances, and the best local food during the Hometown Holidays Music Festival.

Back for its 31st year, Hometown Holidays Music Festival (May 25-27) will feature more than 30 free live performances, The Taste of Rockville, shopping, children's activities, and so much more.

The weekend's festivities is capped off with the city's annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony. The event is set to start at 9 a.m. and will feature a musical tribute to America by the Rockville Concert Band and Chorus.

The ceremony will take place in the plaza of Rockville Town Square at 9:30 a.m. There will be a traditional wreath-laying led by American Legion Post 86, a 21-gun salute, and more.

Following the ceremony is the parade, which is set to start at 10:30 a.m. It will feature more than 60 parade units, including drill teams, marching bands, floats, military units, and multicultural community groups.

Click here to learn more.

MCRRC Memorial 4-Miler

The Montgomery County Road Runners Club is hosting a memorial race on Monday to honor members of the military.

It's free to participate in the four-miler if you're a member. For non-members 18 years and over, admission is $10. Those under 18 years of age pay $5.

Click here for more information.

Silver Spring

Memorial Day Tour at the Medical Museum

On Memorial Day, head over to the Medical Museum in Silver Spring.

The free guided tour highlights the incredible changes and advancements in American medicine —particularly military medicine — over the past 150 years.

For more information, call (301) 319-3303 and visit the museum's Facebook page.

Gaithersburg

Flags For Our Heroes

The annual event celebrates our heroes, past and present, in a tribute at Bohrer Park. On Monday, hundreds of American flags will be fluttering in the wind, honoring active duty service members, veterans, and soldiers who've made the ultimate sacrifice.

At Flags For Our Heroes, you can sponsor a flag. Each flag will bear the name of the sponsor or the sponsor's hero on a medallion. The medallion can be kept as a memento for the sponsor or the honoree.

You can sponsor a flag here.

The celebration starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. and ends on Monday at 4 p.m.

Click here to learn more.

Germantown

Memorial Day BBQ

The Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #3509 is having a BBQ. Swing by 19201 Frederick Rd. on Monday for BBQ chicken, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and more. Tickets are $12.

Click here for more information.

Sandy Spring

Memorial Day Bash

Looking for an outdoor adventure on Memorial Day? Check out Adventure Park's Memorial Day Bash in Sandy Spring. The day will be jam-packed with climbing, zip-lining, and more.

Ticket prices:
Ages 5 and 6: $12
Ages 7-11: $47
Ages 12+: $56

Click here to learn more.