Memorial Day Weekend 2023: Motorcyclists Gather In Fairfax For Ride Of The Patriots

FAIRFAX CITY, VA— Fairfax City's 23rd Annual Ride of the Patriots "Rolling To Remember" event on Memorial Day weekend is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

Patriot Harley-Davidson and the Fairfax VA Chapter, Harley Owners are hosting the weekend-long Ride of the Patriots, which gets underway with a Candlelight Vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 5 p.m., on Friday. All riders are welcome.

An open house at Patriot-Harley Davidson, which is located at 9739 Fairfax Blvd., is taking place Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Riders and visitors will be able to purchase a "Ride of the Patriots" commemorative T-Shirt from the dealership and commemorative coins at the Fairfax H.O.G. booth while supplies last.

On Sunday, riders will gather from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. outside the dealership on Fairfax Boulevard for a community parade and ceremony. Rider will then receive a police escort to RFK Station in Washington, D.C., for the Rolling To Remember Demonstration Ride.

The weekend celebration wraps up on Monday, when members of the Fairfax H.O.G. leave Patriot Harley-Davidson at 12 noon to take part in the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade.

ViVa Vienna is the highlight of the Town of Vienna's celebration. The festival features rides, entertainment, food, vendors, the returning BrewFest and a Memorial Day ceremony.

Here are some other events and activities taking place nearby over the Memorial Day weekend:

• Blast Off! with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band: May 28
• Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and Festival: May 27
• Memorial Day Community Choral Concert with Orchestra, May 27
• National Memorial Day Concert Series in Washington, DC: May 26-29
• National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery: May 29
• National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC: May 29
• Rolling to Remember: May 28
• Art in Nature Festival at National Botanic Garden: May 27-28

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.