CONNECTICUT, USA — As we round out the month of May with Memorial Day weekend, there are plenty of parades and events being held around the state that honor those who gave their lives for our country.
A list of parades across the state is listed below.
Before the parades and memorial services start, there are also other events you can attend across the state that also signifies the "unofficial start to summer."
If you have a need for speed then check out the Trans-Am Memorial Day Classic event at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury! The even features grids populated by Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers and Corvettes to give you a sense of Americana mixed with nostalgia! Events are held all weekend long. Head here for more information and tickets!
Get your appetites ready because, after a two-year hiatus, the Milford Food Truck Festival & Open Air Market will take place Saturday, Sunday and Monday! The festival will be held at the Connecticut Post Mall and feature popular food trucks, shopping, and carnival games. Learn more about the event here.
Mystic Seaport Museum will be holding its Memorial Day weekend event which includes antique truck rides, boat rides, games on the village green, and a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday. Learn more about Mystic Seaport's Memorial Day weekend events here!
For more sports, the 2022 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships will be held at Pratt &Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field this weekend in East Hartford. The championships are hosted by Fairfield University. Learn more about the games and find tickets here!
All board! Thomas the Tank Engine and his buddies Percy and Sir Topham Hatt are pulling into Essex Stream Tain and Riverboat station for "The Dream Big Tour"! Thomas and friends will be there Saturday and Sunday along with next weekend with departure times every 45 minutes. Event organizers recommend buying tickets early. Head here for more information!
Celebrate Wethersfield and honor the fallen this weekend with the town's Annual Heritage Weekend. The event also includes a Memorial Day parade and ceremony. The parade will be held Saturday, May 28, along with more Memorial Day services and a Revolutionary War reenactment. Learn more about the events here.
Also happening in Wethersfield this weekend is the Annual Spring Festival with Heirloom Market. The vent features local vendors and artisans, kid-friendly activities, gardening talks, and other artists. Learn more about the family-friendly event here!
Beginning Saturday and lasting until July 30, the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk will be offering its Saturday Sunset Cruises. You can kick back and enjoy a relaxing evening boat ride out onto Long Island Sound. The ride lasts 90 minutes. Food and drink are not available for purchase on the boat but you're allowed to bring food and beverages in a small bag or soft-sided cooler. Learn more about the cruise and the schedule here!
If you're looking to run (or walk) into the summer season, The 19th Annual Shamrock Run & Walk will be held in Bristol this Saturday. The run kicks off at Muzzy Field with the 5-mile run beginning at 8 a.m. and the 2-mile run beginning at 9:15 a.m. as well as the 2-mile fitness walk. Learn more about the event here!
Head to Norwich for two cultural festivals this weekend! The first one, the Cape Verdean Festival, will feature good, vendors, dancing, and special performances by Cape Verdean musical artists. The event is Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more here.
The second cultural festival in Norwich is the 3rd Annual Polish Festival on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy live music, traditional Polish dancing, polka, food, vendors, and children's activities! Learn more about the event here.
Our final event this weekend takes us back to Lime Rock Park on Sunday for the CT Craft Beer Grand Prix competition. The event begins at 12 p.m. The competition is the first and only competition run and organized by the Connecticut Brewers Guild. It aims to showcase the best of the best that Connecticut craft brewers have to offer! Learn more about the event here. You must be 21 years of age or older to attend and identification will be checked.
For more events and other activities to do this weekend, head to CT Visit.
See below for a list of Memorial Day parades. This is not a comprehensive list.
Sunday
Bantam's Memorial Day Parade will take place at 1 p.m. beginning on Doyle Road with a memorial service after.
Brookfield's Memorial Day Parade begins at 2 p.m. and starts at Brookfield High School and goes to the Center Elementary School.
Derby-Shelton Memorial Day Service will begin at 7 p.m. at the Shelton Intermediate School.
Forestville's Memorial Day Parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the One Fifty Central restaurant on Center Street.
Ledyard's Memorial Day Parade will begin at 1 p.m. The route will travel along Colonel Ledyard Highway and end and Ledyard High School.
Milford's Memorial Day Parade begins at 2 p.m. and starts at Daniel Wasson Field on West River Street. The parade is predicated by a wreath-laying ceremony at 9:45 a.m. in front of City Hall.
Orange's Memorial Day Parade begins at 10:30 a.m.
Stamford's Memorial Day Parade begins at 12 p.m. and will begin at the Stamford Police Department on Bedford Street.
Talcottville's Memorial Day Parade steps off at 9 a.m. at the Talcottville Congregational Church and will stop at the Civil War Monument before reversing course and turning to the church for 10 a.m.
Tolland's Memorial Day Parade and service will begin at 1 p.m. at the Preschool of the Arts on Tolland Stage Road.
Woodbury's Memorial Day Parade steps off from Woodbury Middle School at 2 p.m.
Monday
Berlin's Memorial Day Parade will start at 9 a.m. by St. Paul's Church on Peck Street and head down Farmington Avenue. There will be a ceremony at Veteran's Memorial Park right after.
Bethany's Memorial Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. and will head down Route 63 from Bethany Airport. The events will end with a ceremony at Town Hall.
Bristol's Memorial Day Procession will kick off at 10 a.m. on Monday on Hope Street, directly across from City Hall. After the parade, the city along with the Bristol Garden Club will dedicate and unveil the new Blue Star Memorial Garden and plaque.
Clinton's Memorial Day Ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at the Town Hall Auditorium.
Danbury's Memorial Day Parade will step off at 9:30 a.m. from Main Street to Roger's Park.
Derby-Shelton Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9 a.m. at Howe Avenue and Cornell Street in Shelton.
East Hartford's Memorial Day Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. at 9 Riverside Drive (Connecticut River Academy) on Monday.
Fairfield's Memorial Day Parade will kick off at 10 a.m. from South Pine Creek Road.
Litchfield's Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. with a parade at the Litchfield Green directly after.
Mansfield's Memorial Day Parade and ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Route 195 and Bassetts Bridge Road in Mansfield Center.
Middletown's Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Main Street.
New Canaan's Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. starting at Saint Mark's Church on Oenoke Ridge Road and will conclude with a ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery.
Norwalk's Annual Memorial Day Parade takes place at 10 a.m. and steps off from Veterans Park and ends at the Town Green on East Avenue.
Norwich's Memorial Day Parade and program will begin at 12 p.m., rain or shine, and begin at McKinely Avenue.
Ridgefield's Memorial Day Parade will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Main Street and will end at Ballard Park where a ceremony will also take place.
Southbury's Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will take place on Main Street South beginning at 11 a.m. Afterward, the Annual Family Day Picnic will take place at the Ballantine Park Field on Old Field Road.
Trumbull's Memorial Day Parade will take place on Main Street and begins at 10 a.m.
Vernon's Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10 a.m. from Northeast School and travel first to Trove Hill Cemetery for a ceremony before continuing into Downtown Rockville.
Westport's Memorial Day Parade will take place at 9 a.m. beginning on Riverside Avenue and ending at Parker Harding Plaza. Memorial services will be held after.
West Hartford's Memorial Day Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from Farmington Avenue at the intersection of Woodrow Street on Monday. The parade route is estimated to last one hour.
West Haven's Memorial Day Parade will take place at 10:30 a.m. beginning at Campbell Avenue.
If you would like to add a Memorial Day event, email us at newstips@fox61.com
See you next weekend!
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
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