Memorial Day Weekend 2023: 15 Things To Do Near Encinitas

ENCINITAS, CA — A variety of ceremonies and other events will take place Memorial Day weekend near Encinitas to pay tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

"Legacy Week" at San Diego's USS Midway Museum is the highlight of the three-day weekend in San Diego County. The annual celebration honors and remembers military heroes and celebrates the region's military heritage. Events include live entertainment on the flight deck, meet-and-greet with veteran aviators, a "Top Gun" screening, an interactive Remembrance Wall, a Memorial Day wreath ceremony, and more.

Below are some other events nearby:

• Fort Rosecrans Memorial Day Ceremony, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego
• Legacy Week, USS Midway Museum, San Diego
• Memorial Day Murph and BBQ, FLxR Fitness, Carlsbad
• Miramar National Cemetery Memorial Day Service, Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego
• Mt. Soledad Memorial Day Ceremony, Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, La Jolla

As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit San Diego area cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.

Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer in Encinitas and across the county. Below are more ways to spend the weekend:

• Belmont in Bloom, Belmont Park, San Diego
• Nighttime Zoo, San Diego Zoo, San Diego
• North Park Music Fest, North Park Mini Park, San Diego
• Rescue Jr. Opening Weekend, SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego
• San Diego International Fringe Festival, Balboa Park, San Diego
• Santee Street Fair and Craft Beer Festival, Santee
• Sesame Summer Splash, Sesame Place San Diego, Chula Vista
• Summer Block Party, Legoland California, Carlsbad
• Summer Movies in the Park, various locations, San Diego County
• Vista Strawberry Festival, Main Street Historical area, Vista

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.