Memorial Day Weekend 2023: 8 Things To Do Around Dunedin

DUNEDIN, FL — The upcoming Memorial Day weekend, May 27 to 29, in Dunedin is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

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

Dunedin Parade And Ceremony

Dunedin will celebrate Memorial Day starting with a parade of military vehicles, motorcycles and golf carts carrying the city's remaining six World War II veterans on Monday, May 29 at 1:30 p.m.
The parade will run through downtown and end at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Zachary Shannon Post 2550, 360 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, where a ceremony will take place at 2 p.m.

The ceremony will feature the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the Dunedin High School Honor Guards and keynote speeches by commanders from VFW Post 2550 and American Legion Post 7 of Clearwater.

Several local singers will lead the national anthem and other patriotic songs. The reading of the names of Dunedin's fallen soldiers from all wars will be conducted by Gold Star Mothers followed by the ringing of the bell, bagpipes and taps.

A reception with food and drinks will follow at Dunedin VFW Post 2550. Click here.

Solemn Salute

A solemn salute to American veterans will take place Monday, May 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Crest Lake Park, 301 S. Glenwood Ave., Clearwater. Local veteran organizations will be present, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart represented by Florida's first Purple Heart Chapter, Dunedin's JFK 1963 Chapter.

Restored military vehicles provided by Douglas H. Suzukovich, president of the Florida Military Vehicle Heritage Group, will be on display.

The keynote speaker will be retired 12th Sgt. Major Jack Tilly, a 34-year career Army officer, co-chairman of the American Freedom Foundation, board member of the Army Retirement Council and special adviser for the Wounded Warriors advisory council board.

Click here.

35th Annual Memorial Day Service

Curlew Hills Memory Gardens of Palm Harbor will host its 35th annual Memorial Day Service on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29 at 9:30 a.m.

The moving observance program will take place at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, 1750 Curlew Road, and will be followed by refreshments. The event is free.

The guest speaker will be retired Army Maj. Kerry Roberts. The national anthem will be sung by Sonya Bryson-Kirksey, who retired from the United States Air Force and is currently the national anthem singer for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Other musical guests will include the Palm Harbor United Methodist Church Choir.

Click here or call 727-789-2000.

Honor Our Heroes Memorial Run

Oldsmar Cares, Tampa Bay Brewing Company and the city of Oldsmar, along with other sponsors, have teamed up again to host this popular 5K Run on Saturday, May 27.

The event is expected to attract more than 500 runners and supporters. Starting at Oldsmar City Hall, runners and walkers will be guided along the waters of upper Tampa Bay and through several of Oldsmar’s parks, including Veterans Park on Shore Drive.

Following the run at 7:30 a.m., there will be drinks for all, along with food and beer for those age 21 and up.

Awards will be presented to the top three males and top three females in each age group.

Packet pickup will be at Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 13937 Monroes Business Park, Tampa, on Thursday and Friday, May 25 and 26, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Race day pickup is discouraged but will be available from 6 to 7 a.m. There will be no registration on the day of the race.

This is a family-friendly event, and 100 percent of all net proceeds go to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12186 in Oldsmar and Oldsmar Cares.

Contact the race director at denos62@gmail.com or click here.

Finish The Memorial Rally Dive Trip

Narcosis Scuba Center of Tarpon Springs will host a Finish the Memorial Rally Dive Trip on Sunday, May 28, at noon in an effort to complete the underwater Circle of Heroes memorial featuring statues of members of various wars and branches of service.

In July 2019, 13 life-size statues commemorating soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces were sunk just 10 miles off the Clearwater coast, creating the dive site known as the Circle of Heroes.

Four years, later, local dive shops continue to work with long-time St. Pete College oceanography professor Dr. Heyward Mathews, who came up with the original concept, to raise the money to erect and sink the remaining 11 statues to complete the vision for this memorial.

The event will be a two-tank dive. One will be conducted on the memorial where divers will clean off the algae on the statues and the second will be at a location voted on by the group.

The event will include refreshments, fresh fruit and snacks. A $20 Nitrox upgrade will be offered. The cost is $129. Click here.

Best Damn Race

Safety Harbor will host the annual Best Damn Race Leftover 5K Saturday, May 27, with a rolling wave start at 7:15 a.m. at Safety Harbor Marina Park, 110 Veterans Memorial Lane, Safety Harbor. There will be 16 age categories with medals going to the winners.

Race packets can be picked up between 3 and 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Dick’s Sporting Goods (Westshore Mall), 258 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, or Saturday starting at 6 a.m. at Safety Harbor Marina Park.

Click here.

Mindful Memorial Day

Madeira Beach Yoga will host an all-level one-hour yoga class on the sandy beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at Archibald Memorial Park, 15100 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach, with a special welcome to all veterans and active-duty military members who can attend the class for free on Monday, May 29 at 8:30 a.m. by emailing info@MadeiraBeachYoga.com with the subject line: Memorial Day.

Pre-registration, pre-payment for all other students and a signed waiver through a Mind Body profile are required prior to attending the class.

Register here. The regular cost is $17 per person. The instructor will be near the shoreline with a "Yoga" sign.

Memorial Day At Largo Central Park

Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, will host a Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be live music, readings, presentations by local veterans and the presentation of the colors by the Largo Fire and Police Department Honor Guard.

Click here or call 727-587-6740, ext. 5014.