14 Memorial Day Weekend Events

Memorial Day is a big deal in the Fredericksburg area.  Following are 14 special events we've listed.  Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

1 - World War II USO Dance

Participate in a World War II USO dance on the lawn of Historic Kenmore from 6 - 8 p.m. Friday. Picnic's are welcome. Music will be provided by the James Monroe High School Jazz Orchestra and a jukebox. Cost: $10, 6 and under free, half-price discount on admission if dressed in World War II-period costume.

2 - Fredericksburg's Thunder for the Cause

Special events May 24 - 26 at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, including food, entertainment and vendors throughout the day.  "Thunder for the Cause honors our past and present military, and raises money for Childhelp and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Fund," according to the group's website.

• Motorcycle Open Show and Swap Meet, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday. Entry fee per motorcycle, $5.  General admission $10; children 12 and under, free.
• Car and Truck Open Show and Swap Meet, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday.  Entry fee per vehicle, $15; includes two passes to the event. General admission $5; children 12 and under, free.

3 - Memorial Day Event: Kenmore During World War II

The George Washington Foundation and the University of Mary Washington present a new exhibition, We Did Our Part: Kenmore During the Second World War, in the Crowninshield Museum at Kenmore.  On Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., special programs include:

• Theater productions depicting vignettes from Kenmore during World War II 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
• House tours featuring images showing Kenmore’s interior during World War II
• Tea & Gingerbread
• Cost: Regular admission

4 - Memorial Day at George Washington's Ferry Farm

Special events 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday include:

• 11 a.m.  “Wartime Reminiscences with the Lintons” - a question and answer with the Linton family highlighting their childhoods growing up at Ferry Farm and life in Stafford during World War II.
• 3 p.m. “Marketing the War: The Role of Propaganda in World War II” A presentation by Archaeologist Joseph Blondino about the use of propaganda by the United States, Germany, and other nations to influence their citizens on the home front to support the war.
• All day - the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion. This group of re-enactors is dedicated to an authentic portrayal of US G.I.s in the combat engineers during World War II.
• Archaeology site open all day. Artifacts from the archaeology dig from the 1940's on display in the Visitors Center.
• Fun activities throughout the day on victory gardens, rationing, toys and games, USO dances and American life during the 1940's.
• Cost: Regular admission

5 - Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder club members will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Dale City Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, 14631 Minnieville Rd., and ride to Quantico National Cemetery to place flags on graves.

They will gather again between 6 and 7:30 a.m. Sunday at the Dale City VFW to ride to Washington, DC. The motorcycles will be led by a police escort.

On Monday motorcycle club members will attend the 11 a.m. Memorial Day  wreath laying ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery.

6 - 18th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Luminary

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will light 15,300 candles in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery on Saturday to honor each soldier buried there.  In addition, a bugler will play "Taps" every 30 minutes throughout the evening. 

To recognize the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville, historians will also be posted throughout the cemetery to tell the stories of soldiers who died in that battle.

The National Park Service sponsored program runs 8 - 11 p.m.  In the event of rain, the event will be held Sunday, May 26. 

7 - Band of America’s Few Concert

Band of America's Few presents a free Memorial Day concert, 10:30 a.m. - Noon Sunday at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

8 - Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony

The Ladies’ Memorial Association of Fredericksburg will continue a 147 year Memorial Day tradition with their sponsored commemoration at Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery 10 a.m. Monday.  Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery and Fredericksburg City Cemetery are at the corner of William Street and Washington Avenue, surrounded by a common brick wall.

9 - Memorial to Our Fallen Heroes Ceremony

The Fredericksburg Area Veterans Council presents a Memorial Day ceremony with speakers and music at 10:45 a.m. Monday.  The Memorial to Our Fallen Heroes is located at the intersection of Barton, Liberty and George streets in downtown Fredericksburg.

10 - 23rd Regiment Colored Troops Memorial Day Procession

The procession departs Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) at 11:15 a.m. Monday for Fredericksburg National Cemetery. 

11 - Fredericksburg National Cemetery Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

The 30-minute program begins at 12 p.m. and will feature keynote speaker Erik Nelson, a Navy veteran, Fredericksburg city planner and historian. 

12 - Honoring War of 1812 Soldiers

The Stafford County Cemetery Committee will hold a memorial service at 2 p.m. Monday for soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. The service will be held at the Aquia Episcopal Church, 2938 Jefferson Davis Highway, in Stafford.

There are three War of 1812 veterans known to be buried at Aquia's cemetery. They are:
Edwin C. Moncure (1780 – 1815)
John Moncure (1774 - 1832)
William Wildie Robertson (1774 - 1842)

13 - United Daughters of the Confederacy Memorial Day Ceremony

The Fredericksburg Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy are hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at 2 p.m. Monday at Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery. Volunteers are needed starting at 9 a.m. May 25 to place flags at the cemetery.

14 - An Outdoor Commemoration with the POPS

The Rappahannock POPS Orchestra presents a free Memorial Day concert at 6 p.m. Monday, featuring solo vocalist Jennifer Cooper.  The concert is at the Ambulatory Care entrance of Mary Washington Hospital.

Rain location: Grace Church of Fredericksburg, 1141 Heatherstone Dr.

Check the Events Listing for other activities, or add you own to the comments section below.

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