Memorial Day Weekend 2024: 20 Things To Do Around Loudoun County

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The upcoming Memorial Day observances in Loudoun County are part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

• The Town of Leesburg Memorial Day observance at 10 a.m. on May 27 is one highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 25-27 this year.

Below are some other events and parades nearby:

• “Flags In” at Arlington National Cemetery on May 23
• Veterans Appreciation Picnic & Pool Party at Middleburg Community Center from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 24
• National Memorial Day Concert on U.S. Capitol grounds at 8 p.m. on May 26
• Flowers of Remembrance Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on May 26
• Rolling to Remember on May 26
• Ringing in Hope: A Salute to Our Troops Memorial Day Race in Ashburn at 8 a.m. on May 27
• Memorial Day Celebration at Tribute at One Loudoun from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 27
• Lovettsville Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. on May 27
• Purcellville Memorial Day Ceremony at 11:45 a.m. on May 27
• National Memorial Day Parade in DC at 2 p.m. on May 27
• Military Women’s Memorial 27th Annual Memorial Day Program on May 27
• 2024 Memorial Day Ceremony at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in D.C. from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on May 27
• Falls Church Memorial Day Festival and Parade on May 27

Note: The wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on May 27 is by invitation only. Livestreaming will begin at 11 a.m. on May 27.

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

• Opening of Loudoun County outdoor pools and Volcano Island Waterpark (Franklin Park Pool opening delayed)
• Memorial Day Party & Pro Soccer Game on May 24 in Leesburg
• A Hillsboro Hoedown on May 25
• Nova Music Festival at 868 Estate Vineyards on May 26
• Strawberry Jubilee Festival at Great Country Farms
• Viva! Vienna! Festival on May 25 to 27

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.