Take an hour or two from your long weekend to observe Memorial Day with the national holiday’s intent: Honoring those who died in service to our country.
Ceremonies and other events are planned across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Here are some to check out near us.
Memorial Day events in Ohio
Anderson Township
Anderson Township hosts its annual Memorial Day Bell Ceremony at noon May 26 at Anderson Center’s South Plaza. Guest speaker is Retired Colonel Steve Ackman. A reading of deceased veterans’ names is planned. If you wish to have your loved one’s name read during the ceremony, sign in by 11:45 a.m.
Blue Ash
The Blue Ash Memorial Day Parade will start at 10:15 a.m. May 26 from Reed Hartman Highway and Cooper Road. It travels east along Cooper to Monroe and ends at Towne Square. You can see the route at bit.ly/3Zvx2wo. The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m.
The keynote speaker will be Retired Lt. Col. Josh Quantz. The Sycamore grad was a career Armor & Cavalry Officer and has commanded at the Company and Battalion level and served on General Staff as Director for Army Operations and Joint Staff as Director for Strategic Plans, Policy & International Affairs.
The Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra Memorial concert is at 7 p.m. at Blue Ash Towne Square in Tom Stone Amphitheater.
Cheviot
Cheviot’s annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. May 26.
It leaves from Bridetown Cemetery, 4418 Bridgetown Road, and ends at Pioneer Cemetery at 3715 Harrison Avenue. This parade route is new for 2025.
There will be a Memorial Day Ceremony at Green Township Veterans Park, 6239 Harrison Ave., following the parade.
Colerain Township
The annual Colerain Memorial Day Ceremony will start at 10 a.m. May 26 at the Colerain Veterans Memorial at the corner of Colerain Avenue and Springdale Road.
Delhi Township
The Delhi Township Veterans’ Association hosts an annual Memorial Day ceremony at 1 p.m. May 25 at Veterans Memorial Park, 934 Neeb Road. In case of rain, check the veterans’ association Facebook page. Delhi’s 21 killed in action heroes will be honored. Patriotic songs, color guards, a bagpiper, grilled food and drinks will be featured.
Parking is limited. Handicapped parking spaces will be available at the park. A free shuttle bus will be provided at the Delhi Senior Community Center at 697 Neeb Road.
Email [email protected] or phone 513-471-8693 with any questions.
Fairfield
Fairfield’s Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will start at Express Scripts at 10 a.m. May 26 and features veterans groups, military units, the Fairfield High School Marching Band, community groups and organizations, the Fairfield Police Department, and Fairfield Fire and Paramedic units. The parade leaves Express Scripts parking lot, 4865 Winton Road, south on Hicks Boulevard, west on Nilles Road, left on Bibury, right on Wessel Drive, ending at Veterans Memorial Park.
A brief program follows at the park with comments from Mayor Mitch Rhodus and representatives from veterans groups. Patriotic music begins at the park at 10 a.m.
Glendale
The Village of Glendale’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. May 26 at Glendale Elementary on Congress Avenue. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Veterans’ Memorial on East Sharon Road, opposite Town Hall.
During the parade, the following streets will be closed:
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Congress Avenue between Wood Avenue and East Sharon Avenue
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East Fountain Avenue from Wood Avenue to the First Presbyterian Church.
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Woodbine Avenue between the First Presbyterian Church and Elk Avenue
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Greenville Avenue between Elk Avenue and Village Square.
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Willow Avenue between the Village Square and East Sharon Avenue.
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East Sharon Avenue between Willow and the Veterans’ Memorial.
Green Township
Green Township officials and VFW Post 10380 will conduct a Memorial Day Ceremony for the Green Township community beginning at 2 p.m. May 26 at Green Township Veterans Park, 6303 Harrison Ave.
This ceremony follows the Memorial Day Parade sponsored by the city of Cheviot and VFW Post 10380.
Hamilton
Hamilton hosts the Butler County Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony May 26, beginning with the laying of the wreath ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at the Soldiers, Sailors & Pioneers Monument at 1 S. Monument Ave. The parade starts at 10 a.m. from Monument Avenue, to east on Court Street, to north on Second Street, to east on High Street, to north on Seventh Street, to east on Heaton Street, to the main gate of Greenwood Cemetery.
The Memorial Day Ceremony and Program begins at 11:15 a.m. in the G.A.R. Section of Greenwood Cemetery.
Loveland
Loveland’s Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony begins at Loveland Elementary School, 600 Loveland-Madeira Road and travels Loveland-Madeira Road to West Loveland Avenue, ending at Veterans Memorial, where a ceremony takes place.
Immediately following the parade, a ceremony will be held at the Loveland Veterans Memorial, located at the intersection of West Loveland Avenue and Riverside Drive. The guest speaker is Judge Gary A. Loxley, who has served as a judge of the Warren County Court since 2013.
American Legion Post 256 sponsors a community picnic beginning at 2 p.m. at 897 Oakland Road, Loveland.
Visit lovinlifeloveland.com for information.
Mount Healthy
Mount Healthy’s Wesley Warner Memorial American Legion Post 513 starts its annual Memorial Day Parade at 2 p.m. May 26 at Hill and Hamilton avenues.
The parade moves south on Hamilton Avenue to Hastings and ends at the Veterans Memorial on McMakin Street for a flag-raising ceremony and brief program in memory of all veterans.
For more information, call the legion at 513-729-0061.
Springfield Township
Kyara Ramsey, with the 123rd Air Control Squadron, located in Blue Ash, helps with flag installation for the 10th anniversary of Field of Memories at Arlington Memorial Gardens.
This is the 10th Annual Field of Memories display in honor of Memorial Day.
Arlington Memorial Gardens displays 1,000 American flags, each one a symbol of honor and remembrance for those who gave their lives in service, as well as veterans, first responders and personal heroes
The Field of Memories is open daily for visitation May 23-26 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Arlington has planned a weekend of reflection and community, including a Friday night concert and fireworks, a Sunday flag-raising and lunch with a veteran, the Cincinnati premiere documentary movie “Defying Death on the Atlantic” and the solemn reading of names on Memorial Day. Visit the website for a full schedule of events.
West Chester Township
The annual West Chester Memorial Day Parade makes its way through the historic Olde West Chester business district to the cemetery on West Chester Road beginning at 10 a.m. May 26 for a special remembrance ceremony.
Parade units proceed north on Cincinnati-Dayton Road to West Chester Road west to Brookside Cemetery, 6425 West Chester Road.
While the parade is in motion, West Chester-Union Township Historical Society members read aloud the names of all veterans interred at the cemetery, where more than 700 are laid to rest, including 100 Civil War veterans and one Revolutionary War veteran.
Memorial Day ceremonies in West Chester are planned each year by local veterans groups VFW Post 7696 and Havelock D. Nelson American Legion Post 681.
Greater Cincinnati Police & Fire Emerald Society events
Memorial Day ceremonies hosted by American Legion Post 744 and Greater Cincinnati Emerald Society Pipe & Drums. All events are on May 26 and are free to attend. More info: emeraldsocietycincinnati.org.
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11 a.m., Hyde Park Square, 2700 Erie Ave., Hyde Park.
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11:30 a.m., Mount Lookout Square, 3197 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout.
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Noon, Pioneer Cemetery, 333 Wilmer Ave., Linwood.
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12:30 p.m., Kellogg Avenue at Apple Hill, California.
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1 p.m., Pioneer Cemetery, 4132 Dumont St., East End. Free. Memorial Day ceremony and wreath laying. Cemetery located behind Dorn Fire Protection, off Carroll Street. This is the burial site of Revolutionary War Sergeant William Brown, recipient of the Badge of Military Merit by George Washington.
Memorial Day 2025 events in Kentucky
Bellevue-Dayton
The 96th Bellevue-Dayton Memorial Day Parade starts at 10:30 a.m. May 26 at the Veterans Monument on Sixth Avenue in Dayton. The parade will travel west on Ky. 8 to the Bellevue Vets.
Charlie Hicks will be the parade grand marshal.
Edgewood
The Edgewood Memorial Day Ceremony will be 10 a.m. to noon May 26 at 550 Freedom Park Drive in Crestview Hills.
Boy Scout Troop 779 will be collecting tattered and worn flags from 9-9:45 a.m. to be properly disposed of.
Florence
The City of Florence Memorial Day Parade takes place at 10 a.m. May 26 from Boone County High School, 7056 Burlington Pike, Florence.
Parade begins at school and goes down Burlington Pike onto Ewing Boulevard to the Boone County Veterans Memorial on the Florence Government Center campus.
Road closures along the route will begin at 9:45 a.m. and remain in place until the parade concludes.
The Memorial Day Program will follow immediately at the memorial.
Fort Wright
Fort Wright’s Memorial Day Service starts at 10 a.m. May 26 at the Fort Wright City Building, 409 Kyles Lane.
The program includes wreath laying, prayer, music and a flag ceremony. The keynote speakers will be Gold Star mothers Frances Lee and Jamie Lee Hahn.
Independence
Independence’s American Legion, Moon Brothers Post 275, established in 1947, will host the 2025 Memorial Day Parade and Honors, with a public address from the porch of the Kenton County Historic Courthouse, 2015 Declaration Drive, at the end of the parade. The parade will start right at 10:30 a.m.
Line-up is on Delaware Crossing by the Community & Senior Center. The parade goes north on Madison Pike, stopping for honors at the Independence Cemetery and Saint Cecilia. The parade route turns on McCullum Pike to end the procession.
Honors will be presented at the Courthouse Memorial, and a short public address will be given from the courthouse porch to conclude the ceremonies.
Park Hills
The Park Hills Memorial Day Parade and flag raising ceremony will start at 11:30 a.m. May 26, rain or shine. The parade will form at Notre Dame Academy on Dixie Highway in Park Hills from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m. The parade travels Dixie Highway to Arlington to Old State Road to Terrace Drive to Amsterdam Road to Park Drive.
The parade’s 2025 grand marshal is David Schlothauer. A 52-year resident of the city, he served on the Park Hills city council and assumed leadership of the city’s Memorial Day events in 1975.
Watch the parade and ceremonies, then visit the Memorial Day food court from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The food court will be along the west side of Park Drive, and tents will be located along the east side. Rose Circle will be used for local through traffic during road closures.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Memorial Day 2025: Parades, ceremonies, concerts in Cincinnati area
Read the full article here
