New Canaan Memorial Day Parade 2025 Information Released

NEW CANAAN, CT — The town has released details regarding this year's Memorial Day parade, including timing and the official parade route.

According to the town website, every year the community of New Canaan gathers on Memorial Day to "remember with gratitude and honor the proud men and women who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces to protect and preserve a life of freedom for all Americans."

The parade and memorial ceremony, sponsored by the town of New Canaan and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Howard Bossa and Peter Langenus Post 653, will be held Monday, May 26, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The parade steps off from St. Mark's Church and proceeds down Oenoke Ridge to upper Main Street, past the Wayside Cross at God's Acre, past the firehouse and Town Hall and continues down Main Street to Lakeview Cemetery, according to the town.

There, parade watchers and marchers can gather with veterans and town officials for remarks about the true meaning and purpose of the Memorial Day holiday, according to the town.

This year's grand marshal is Brian van der Heyden and guest speaker is U.S. Marine combat veteran Chris Paksi. Msgr. Robert Kinnally, pastor of St. Aloysius Church, will represent New Canaan clergy and lead the ceremony in prayer, according to the town.

For the first time, this year's ceremony will have a flyover by the 118th Airlift Squadron out of Bradley ANGB with a C-130 aircraft at exactly 11a.m., according to the town.

No parking will be allowed on Main Street from 8 a.m. until the parade finishes, town officials noted.

In the event of heavy rain, a parade cancelation notice will be posted on the town website and social media pages, and the Memorial Day ceremony will be conducted in Town Hall at 10 a.m. with limited seating, according to the town.

Here is the 2025 line of march, according to the town:

1. Color Guard
2. Grand Marshal
3. Exchange Club
4. Veterans
5. Town Officials and Clergy
6. Town Band
7. Board of Education
8. Police Department
9. U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps
10. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
11. Girl Scouts, Brownies, Daisies and the Service Unit
12. Knights of Columbus
13. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts
14. New Canaan EMS
15. Mount Kisco Scottish Bagpipers
16. Fire Department
17. Vista Fire Department
18. CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
19. New Canaan High School Band
20. New Canaan Baseball
21. New Canaan Softball
22. School of Rock
23. New Canaan Youth Rugby
24. New Canaan Beautification League
25. Staying Put in New Canaan
26. Planet New Canaan
27. New Canaan Mounted Troop
28. GetAbout
29. Waveny Lifecare Network
30. New Canaan Men's Club
31. Caffeine & Carburetors
32. Town of New Canaan Department of Public Works
33. America 250th Planning Committee

The Memorial Day ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery will start immediately after the parade and follow this schedule provided by the town:

• Introduction
• Invocation
• Raising of the flag
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Star Spangled Banner
• Veterans Ceremony
• Placing of wreaths and flags
• Guest Speaker
• Gun salute
• Taps
• Closing Music
• Benediction
• Closing comments
• Final announcements
• Military flyover by C-130 transport plane at 11 a.m.

More information is available here.