This weekend marks the 151st anniversary of Memorial Day. While the holiday was created in the aftermath of the Civil War to remember those who sacrificed for their country, it has evolved into the first holiday weekend of the summer.
The three-day weekend includes memorial services, but also plenty of barbecues, parades, concerts and festivals as people mingle, celebrate warmer weather and a break from the school year.
Here are a list of free Memorial Day events happening throughout the Oxford region this weekend.
Memorial Day Celebration (Darrtown)
Chris Jordan presents a Memorial Day celebration with the Methodist Men’s Choir and Milford Mimi Farmers 4-H Club, 2 p.m.—3 p.m., Sunday, May 26, at the Darrtown Cemetery, 3325 Shollenbarger Road, Darrtown.
Guests are invited to bring a chair or blanket to sit on why they enjoy the music and presentations. In case of rain, the event will be moved into the Darrtown Methodist Church, 4309 Walnut St., Oxford.
Hueston Woods
If you’re looking to cool down and do some outdoor activities, Hueston Woods is the place. The outdoor pool is now officially open. There are many different outdoor activities happening this weekend such as a night hike, a reptile show, a creeking expedition, kayaking for beginners, and many more!
Butler County Soldiers Sailors & Pioneers Monument (Hamilton)
The Butler County Historical Society is opening a beautiful monument for Memorial Day. From 10 a.m.—4 p.m. Monday, May 27. Visitors can visit and see the many different names of men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. These names are engraved on marble walls. Visitors can also view the glass window that honors the role that women had during wartime!
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony (Fairfield)
The parade will depart from Express Scripts at promptly 10 a.m. Monday. The parade will include veterans’ groups, the Fairfield High School Marching Band and many other community organizations. Following the parade, the ceremony will take place at the Veterans Memorial Park.
Memorial Day Parade (Middletown)
The parade will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Monday, in Smith Park. It will travel on Verity Parkway and conclude at Woodside Cemetery. Following the parade there will be a service to honor the fallen men and women our country has lost. The Grand Marshal for the event this year is Delbert Sharret, a 95-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor. The address speaker will be U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson.
West Chester
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7976 is hosting its annual tribute to those men and women who have served and or still serving in the military. The parade will start at 10 a.m. Monday, and begin on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Following the parade, a ceremony will occur at the West Chester Cemetery on West Chester Road. This year, kids under 12 are invited to participate in the parade with a decorated bicycle, stroller or wagon.
