Cheshire Memorial Day Parade 2025: Here’s What To Know

From the Cheshire Parade Committee

CHESHIRE, CT — The Town of Cheshire continues its traditions to our veterans who sacrificed all with various weekend activities open to the public.

The 2025 Cheshire Memorial Day Parade will take place on Sunday, May 25 at 1:30 p.m. The parade route will be on Route 10 from Highland School to Cheshire High School/Bartlem Park and the theme of this year’s parade will be the” 50th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War.”

The Honorary Grand Marshal for 2025 is John White, a U.S. Naval officer and Vietnam War veteran, who recently was inducted in the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.

The 2025 Parade will feature U.S. veterans who served our country who will be on hand in honor of their fallen comrades. A special float will also honor our local Vietnam Veterans again paying tribute to those who did not make it home. Local Color Guards, organizations, businesses, youth groups and bands are participating, as well as, a Vietnam War era vintage helicopter who will be doing a fly-over landing at Bartlem Park for viewing following the parade.

The playing of Taps, a prayer from the Parade Chaplain and few words on the meaning of Memorial Day from Don Falk, Parade Co-Marshal, Vietnam veteran and Commander of VFW Post 10052, will be done at the Memorial Tear Drop area across from the Congregational Church green in the center of town.

White will be riding with Parade Chaplain, Fr. John Williams, formerly the Pastor of the Epiphany Church, a navy veteran who also served during the Vietnam War. Parade Co-Marshal, Leslie Marinaro will be leading Division 1.

As each veteran car or veteran float passes, the Cheshire Parade Committee asks parade-goers to use this opportunity to acknowledge them as they are driven down Route 10. Give a welcome to these veterans, take your cap off and show children and grandchildren how to honor veterans as they pass by. The Division 2 Commander is Chief Jack Casner, Division 3 Commanders are Tom Marinaro and Andrew Martelli, and Division 4 will be led by Commanders Danielle and Dylan De Nuzzo.

The Parade will be part of another Memorial Day weekend event, “Flags Across Cheshire” which takes place the day before, on Saturday, May 24, at 1 p.m. This event is when American flags are placed on veteran gravestones at two cemeteries: Hillside Cemetery off Wallingford Road (starting in the new section) and St. Bridget’s of Sweden Cemetery off Higgins Road. Staff will have flags for grave placement at both these events and are asking for volunteers to go to either location (bring a screwdriver to make a hole in ground for easy flag placement) to help with this undertaking. It is an hour out of a weekend to pay tribute to our fallen veterans.

The Cheshire Veteran Advisory Commission would like to thank the Town of Cheshire, The Cheshire Park & Recreation and Public Works Departments, the Cheshire Police and Fire Departments, the Town Council and all the volunteers, veterans, businesses and organizations who participate and attend all the Memorial Day weekend events to help keep the “memorial” in Memorial Day. All members of the public are welcome and encouraged to take a moment out of their Memorial Day Weekend to honor our fallen veterans by attending these events.