Newtown Memorial Day Parade 2026: Here Are The Details

NEWTOWN, PA —Newtown will pause on Monday, Memorial Day to remember the nation's fallen with solemn ceremonies and a parade through town.

The parade is scheduled to step off at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 25, from the Newtown Commons on the Newtown-Yardley Road and will then march west through town, pausing three times to render honors before concluding with a ceremony in front of American Legion Post 440 on Linden Avenue.

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The parade will first pause at the Newtown Cemetery where the veterans will render honors at the gravesites of Senior Airman USAF Kevin A. White who died June 3, 2003, in Iraq, and Morell Smith, who was killed in action in France on Oct. 18, 1918. Legion Post 440 bears his name in honor of his sacrifice.

The parade will next pause at the World War I monument next to the Newtown Library Company at Centre Avenue and South Congress Street for a wreath-laying, prayers and salutes.

The parade will pause a third time at the Newtown Borough Hall where a brief ceremony will be held, including prayers, keynote remarks by Marine Corps veteran John Heenan and music by Council Rock musicians.

U.S. Marine Corps veteran John Heenen will deliver Memorial Day remarks from the steps of the Newtown Borough Hall.

The parade will conclude at American Legion Post 44o on Linden Avenue with a short ceremony at the flagpole.

"An important thing to note for those watching the parade is that it will take a couple hours to march from the Commons to the Post with the parade pausing four times to honor the fallen," said the Legionnaires.

Parade Grand Marshal

U.S. Army veteran Chuck Resch, who served the nation during the Vietnam War, has been given the honor of being this year's Memorial Day Grand Marshal.

Resch is a 50 year member of Newtown American Legion Post 440, serving the post as chaplain, liaison to the Council Rock School District and point person for the post's American Legion School awards and the Keystone State Boys/Girls program. He also served on the entertainment committee and as bartender for special occasions.

Guest Speaker

John Heenan, a long time member of American Legion Post 440, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969 right out of high school and trained as an anti-tank assault man. He served at GITMO and in the Carolinas.

Following his enlistment, he attended Drexel University and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he taught for a couple of years before an extensive career in financial management. He has sat on a number of boards including the Freedom Foundation, the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Association, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and Medal of Honor Grove.

John and his wife, Bernadette, worked together with the Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation to erect the first in the nation Gold Star Families Memorial at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Upper Makefield.

Parade Route

• The parade steps off at 9 a.m. from the Commons West Building on the Newtown-Yardley Road. From there it will head west to the Newtown Cemetery where a memorial service will be held at the Morell Smith gravesite.
• At 9:20 a.m., the parade will leave the cemetery by making a right on Elm Avenue and then a left onto Washington Avenue.
• The parade will continue west on Washington to Lincoln, make a left on Lincoln to Centre and then a right on Centre to the Newtown Library Company.
• From the Newtown Library Company, the parade will head north on Congress Street to Jefferson, left on Jefferson to State and then south on State to the Newtown Borough Hall where speeches and a memorial service will be held.
• Following the service, the parade will continue south on State Street to Centre Avenue, turn right onto Centre continuing onto the Richboro Road and then making a final right on Linden Avenue before arriving at the Amercan Legion Hall.

Parking Restrictions

Temporary No Parking Starting at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 25 on the following roads:

• South Elm between Washington and Centre
• Centre Avenue between Lincoln and Congress Street
• South Congress between Centre Avenue and Washington
• State Street between Greene Street and Centre Avenue

Closure begin at 8:30 a.m. on the following Newtown Borough streets.

• Washington between Terry Drive and Sycamore Street
• Lincoln Avenue between Greene Street and Penn Street
• State Street between Jefferson Avenue and Centre Avenue
• Centre Avenue Congress Street Road

Closures for Newtown Township

• Richboro Road between the Newtown Bypass and South Sycamore Street
• South Sycamore between Washington and Cambridge Lane
• Newtown-Yardley Road between Terry Drive and Elm