Parade, Ceremony Are Highlight Of Brewster's Memorial Day Weekend

BREWSTER, NY — The upcoming Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Brewster is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

The parade and ceremony are the highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 27-29 this year. The parade kicks off at 10:45 a.m. at the Brewster Fire Department and heads downhill to Electrozone Memorial Field for a presentation of wreaths and rifle salute. Afterwards, stay for refreshments.

The second annual Memorial Day 5K "Freedom is not Free" race is beforehand, so sign up to start running at 8 a.m. at Markel Park.

There are many events nearby, too. One of the region's most moving — and visible — events takes place in Rockland County.

Memorial Day watch fires sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America are held annually throughout the county to remember soldiers who are in service abroad and the troops who didn't return from war. The watch fires will be lit at 11:30 p.m. May 29 and burn for 24 hours at four locations:

• Bowline Point Park in Haverstraw
• Eugene Levy Memorial Park on Route 45 in Pomona
• The top of Clausland Mountain in Orangeburg
• The east end of the Piermont Pier

Anyone wishing to retire flags can do so at any of the locations. A ceremony will be held at each of the four locations.

Memorial Day Weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer in the Hudson Valley. Here's something else to do on the weekend: May 28 is Hudson Valley Resident Free Day at DIA:Beacon

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.

See an event we missed? Email Lanning.Taliaferro@patch.com.