SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury native and U.S. Navy veteran Kenny Hiltz will serve as Parade Marshal for the town’s 2026 Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies on Monday, May 25.
Hiltz, who grew up in Sudbury and attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, was captain of both the school’s football and lacrosse teams before serving in the Navy. Town officials said he will lead this year’s observance honoring veterans and fallen service members from conflicts spanning King Philip’s War through the 21st century.
The annual Memorial Day parade begins at 9:30 a.m. at Rugged Bear Plaza on Boston Post Road and travels through town with stops at several war memorials and cemeteries before concluding at Grinnell Park in Town Center.
Hiltz will join veterans’ organizations, members of the Sudbury Military Family Network, Scouts, the Sudbury Ancient Fyfe and Drum Companie, and the Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute during the procession. Musket salutes will be fired at each stop along the parade route.
The observance begins earlier in the morning with ceremonies at Revolutionary War Cemetery, Old North Cemetery and New North Cemetery.
At Grinnell Park, Hiltz will be recognized during the town’s Memorial Day program and is expected to deliver remarks. The ceremony will also feature performances by the Ancient Fyfe and Drum Companie, Girl Scouts, and Curtis Middle School student Saesha Shetiya, who will sing the national anthem.
The United Native American Cultural Council will again perform its annual ceremony of peace, a tradition that has been part of Sudbury’s Memorial Day observance for more than 30 years. Organizers will also read the names of Sudbury veterans who have died since last Memorial Day before the ceremony concludes with Taps.
All veterans are invited to join the parade. Organizers said transportation will be available for participants who cannot march the full route.
The observance is organized by Sudbury’s Memorial Day Committee, which is welcoming new members to help plan the 2027 event.
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