Record Roundup: How and when to observe Memorial Day on the North Shore

As the long weekend approaches, many North Shore communities are preparing for upcoming parades and ceremonies to mark Memorial Day on Monday, May 26, and honor lives lost in service of the U.S. armed forces.

The weather for the long weekend looks cool but dry. Temperatures are forecasted to be approximately 60 degrees, with a high of 61 on Monday with partly sunny skies.

Wilmette

Wilmette’s annual Memorial Day parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. on Monday and will begin at St. Joseph School (Ridge Road and Lake Avenue) and move east down Lake Avenue until Park Avenue, then travel south on Park to Wilmette Avenue where it will head east and conclude at the Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Ave.

Following the parade, a ceremony will be held outside the Village Hall. Typically, village officials lead the ceremony near the town’s memorial wall, where a wreath is placed, and local Scouts read the names of the Wilmette residents who died while in service of the U.S. military. 

Road closures for the parade will begin at 10:20 a.m. and continue until the parade clears around 11:30 a.m. The streets (Wilmette and Central) surrounding the Village Hall in downtown Wilmette will remain closed until the ceremony ends.

For more information and updates on the Wilmette Memorial Day parade, see here.

Winnetka

The annual Memorial Day parade in Winnetka will begin at 10 a.m. Monday on the corner of Glendale and Elm streets. The parade will then head east to the Village Green Park, 525 Maple Ave.

A ceremony will follow by 10:30 a.m. on the Village Green, traditionally featuring a guest speaker as well as the presentation of colors and the laying of a memorial wreath. 

U.S. Army Capt. Matt Schachman will provide the welcoming and closing remarks, and local students and the Sheridan singers will also participate in the ceremony. Veteran Grant Mallman, a U.S. Army sergeant, is a special guest.

The rain location for the ceremony is the Skokie School auditorium, 520 Glendale Ave.

For more information and updates on the Winnetka Memorial Day parade, see here or click here for a copy of the event’s program.

Glencoe

The event will be held at 11 a.m. in Veterans Memorial Park, next to Glencoe Union Church, 263 Park Ave. The ceremony will feature guest and community speakers and a memorial wreath.

In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Takiff Center, 999 Green Bay Road.

Highland Park

The Highland Park community will hold its Memorial Day observance at 11 a.m. on Monday in the Highland Park High School Auditorium, 433 Vine Ave. The ceremony is planned in partnership with the American Legion Post No. 145, Jewish War Veterans Post No. 29 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4737.

U.S. Navy Capt. Steven Yargosz, commander of the Naval Station Great Lakes, will provide the keynote address, and the city’s poet laureate Laura Joyce-Hubbard will read an original poem created for the event. The Highland Park High School band will perform.

The event will also include a bell ceremony honoring Highland Park veterans who have passed away.

For more information and updates on the Highland Park Memorial Day ceremony, see here.

Kenilworth

Kenilworth held its 105th annual Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 18. The 105th Annual Kenilworth Memorial Day Fun Run preceded the parade. A police station open house took place after the ceremony.

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