Events Aplenty Scheduled Around Williamson County To Observe Memorial Day

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Residents of Williamson County won't have to venture far to partake in Memorial Day events next Monday.

A number of events are scheduled throughout the county, from solemn memorial services to family-friendly gatherings celebrating our nation's safeguarded freedoms. Williamson County offices will close on May 29 in observance of Memorial Day, resuming regular hours of operation on Tuesday, May 29.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter will be open regular hours on Monday from noon to 6 p.m. The shelter is offering free adoptions for all adult dogs and cats May 27-29.

Williamson County Veterans Services has posted a listing of Memorial Day services and special offers for veterans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wilcovets. Among those events are:

• Memorial Day Ceremony and Band Concert: Monday, May 28. Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. and concert at 7 p.m. at the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza, 2 Texas Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78633. The event is free and open to public. The scheduled guest speaker is U.S. Rep. John Carter, a Republican from Round Rock. Music will be provided by the 36th Infantry Division Band of the Texas Army National Guard. The 36th Infantry Division Band from Camp Mabry in Austin will also present a concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. If you would like to honor a veteran by adding an engraved brick to the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza, bricks can be ordered through the CA Member Services Office or online at www.sctexas.org/VeteransMemorialPlaza. Contributions support the care and maintenance of the Plaza.

• Fiesta Amistad: Starting at noon Sunday. Live music and dance. Includes car show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Old Settler's Park, 3300 Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock. $7; free for children 12 and younger. www.elamistadclub.com. Popular Tejano stars Sunny Sauceda and Jay Perez will be on hand to entertain the crowd, along with DJ Roy Maldonado and the Round Rock Ballet Folklorico.

• Memorial Day service: 1 p.m. Saturday. Ceremony honoring Johnston High School students who died in the Vietnam War. Eastside Memorial High School, 1012 Arthur Stiles Road. 826-7569.

• Memorial Day service: 10 a.m. Monday. Sponsored by the Thankful Hubbard Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the Patrick Henry Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution. Ceremony features Sons of American Revolution members in Revolutionary War dress and keynote speaker Sgt. John Boerstler. Texas State Cemetery, 909 Navasota St. 845-0155.

• Memorial Day service: 10:30 a.m. Monday. Travis High School NJROTC Color Guard will present the colors in this ceremony sponsored by the Catholic War Veterans. Assumption Cemetery, 3650 S. Interstate 35. 841-8209.

• Killeen Memorial Day service: 11 a.m. Monday. Hosted by the City of Killeen and VFW Post 9192, features guest speaker Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell. Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, 11463 Texas 195, Killeen. www.ci.killeen.tx.us.

• Heroes Night Out Annual Military Appreciation BBQ: May 27 from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.

"We would like to honor all our Military Heroes and their families with our 6th Annual Military Appreciation BBQ," county officials said. The free event will be staged Saturday, May 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Reunion Ranch Campgrounds in Georgetown. Those wishing to attend should RSVP, and can click here to do so. For a map of the venue, click here. Car show participants are asked to contact Mike Sharman at (512) 923-6277 or email him at mikesharman1@gmail.com.

>>> U.S. Department of Defense photo shows U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Lilly, a joint tactical air controller with the 57th Operations Group, paying tribute to a fallen veteran May 28, 2013, at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada via WikiMedia Commons