Memorial Day Weekend 2023: Events In And Around Bethesda

BETHESDA, MD — Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, bringing numerous special events to enjoy with the family. The holiday is also a solemn occasion to reflect on those who have died serving in the armed forces.

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

• Memorial Day BBQ at the Potomac Swim & Tennis Club, Monday, May 29, noon to 4 p.m.
• Memorial Day Cookout at Wheaton Regional Park, Monday, May 29, noon to 6 p.m.
• Jewish War Veterans Post 692 - Memorial Day Ceremony, Sunday, May 28 at 2:30 p.m. Bender JCC of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville. Keynote speaker is Andrew Friedson, Vice President of the Montgomery County Council. The Ukrainian American Veterans Post 26 are special guests, Voices of Vets will provide entertainment, and there will be light refreshments. Program is free and open to the public.
• Jewish War Veterans Post 360, American Legion Post 268, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2562, Monday May 29 at 11 a.m. Wheaton Veterans Urban Park, 11200 Amherst Avenue, Wheaton. Featuring speaker Major General (Ret) Richard Thomas. Refreshments at American Legion Post 268 after event.
• City of Rockville – Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade, Monday, May 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rockville Town Center Park, 131 Gibbs Street, Rockville. 9 a.m. - a musical tribute by the Rockville Concert Band and Chorus; 9:30 a.m. - Memorial Day ceremony begins. 10:30 a.m. - parade begins.
• City of Gaithersburg – Memorial Day Observance, Monday, May 30 at 11 a.m. Christman Park, 304 West Deer Park, Gaithersburg. The public is invited to join the Mayor and City Council, Junior Mayor, City staff and honored guests in a tribute to those of all generations who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
• City of Gaithersburg – Flags of Our Heroes – Friday, May 26 through Tuesday, May 30. Formal Opening Ceremony Saturday, May 27 at 11 a.m. at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm (next to Gaithersburg High School), 512 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg.
• The National Memorial Day Observance on Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater is part of a three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 27-29 — this year.
• National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., May 29, Constitution Avenue at 2 p.m. The parade will honor the service and sacrifice of generations of Americans.
• The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor, a temporary installation honoring the more than 645,000 American servicemembers who gave their lives in service to the nation since World War I, on the National Mall at the base of the Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28.

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.