Memorial Day Weekend 2023: 10 Things To Do In & Around Napa Valley

NAPA VALLEY CA — This Memorial Day, veterans and the fallen will be honored at ceremonies in Napa, American Canyon and Calistoga. BottleRock Napa Valley returns for the 10th year this Memorial Day Weekend, along with other activities to mark the start of summer in Napa Valley.

Memorial Day is a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

Here are some Memorial Day ceremonies:

• American Canyon Memorial Day Ceremony, 11 a.m. Monday, Veterans Memorial Park, 2801 Broadway Street. The event is co-hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1123, American Canyon Troop Support, and American Canyon Lions Club. The ceremony is open to the public, is expected to last for approximately one hour, and will include refreshments.
• Calistoga Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, at Logvy Park, hosted by American Legion Post 231 Calistoga. Open to the public. The names of those honored on five new bricks installed this year at the Calistoga Veterans Memorial will be read off during the ceremony.
• Napa Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by American Legion Post 113, 11:30 a.m. -noon Monday at Veteran's Memorial Park in Napa.
• Veterans Home of California-Yountville Memorial Day Ceremony, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday at the Home's Memorial Cemetery. The public is welcome to attend.

As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit local 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. Below are more ways to spend the weekend:

• California State Parks offering free admission for veterans, active and reserve military on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29. See a list here of participating parks. Veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel must show a valid military ID, or proof of discharge other than dishonorable or bad conduct, in order to receive the free admission.
• BottleRock Napa Valley Music, Food, Wine and Brew Festival featuring Post Malone, Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lizzo, Smashing Pumpkins, more. Friday-Sunday, Napa Valley Expo. Visit the Ticket Exchange.
• According to VisitNapavalley.com: If you can’t score tickets but still want to participate in the fun, check out some of the BottleRock-adjacent parties. Dance the day away at Chateau Buena Vista's Crocodile BottleRock and Be Bubbly's Bubblerock: Bubbles, Drag & DJ , or check out the action at BottleRock After Hours at Solage.
• Napa Farmer's Market, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday
• 2023 Spring Trails Challenge through May 28 at Napa County Regional Park & Open Space District
• Picnic At The Pond, Ram's Gate Winery, Sonoma 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Saturday-Monday

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.