Unlike Veterans Day where people across the United States thank living veterans, Memorial Day takes on a more somber tone.
This Memorial Day weekend Hopewell Valley communities – Hopewell Township, Pennington, and Hopewell Borough – will honor, pay tribute, and mourn fallen military service members and personnel.
There will be Memorial Day ceremonies and parades taking place throughout the weekend.
Memorial Day is a national holiday, originally called Decoration Day, that takes place this year on Monday, May 27. The annual national holiday is designed to remember service members of America’s armed forces who died while serving the country.
Hopewell Township:
The Hopewell Valley Veterans Association will hold their annual Memorial Day ceremony at Hopewell Township’s Woolsey Park on May 25.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will occur rain or shine at 221 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville.
Pennington:
On Memorial Day, the Pennington Memorial Day Parade which is hosted by the Pennington Parks and Recreation Commission will occur starting at 11 a.m.
The parade on May 27 will feature marching from local fire departments, community-based organizations, businesses and the Hopewell Valley Central High School (HVCHS) marching band.
“The parade begins at 11 a.m. on May 27 at 425 South Main St. It then proceeds to the intersection of Main and Delaware at which we will have a wreath laying ceremony, turns left on Delaware and ends at Green Street,” said Kristyn Friedlich, who serves as a board member for Parks and Recreation.
“In addition to the parade, we also have a concert at Howe Commons on Main Street this Sunday, May 26 at 6 p.m. as well as a bike decorating concert at Toll Gate Grammar School on Main Street at 10:15 a.m. on May 27. Participants in the bike decorating concert can march in the parade.”
Hopewell Borough:
Hopewell Borough’s Memorial Day Parade will take place on May 26.
Those marching in the parade are going to be lined up at Taylor Terrace beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The parade will make its way from east of Broad Street to Princeton Avenue with the closing ceremony scheduled for after at Hopewell Elementary School.
Groups and individuals participating in the parade – Hopewell Fire Department Color Guard, Hopewell Valley Post 339 American Legion, Pipes & Drums of the Blue and Gold – New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Band, Hopewell Fire Department, Emergency Medical Unit & Ladies Auxiliary, Twin Pine Composite Squadron (Civil Air Patrol) – Color Guard and cadets,
Cub Scout Pack 71 of Hopewell, Alfred Kahn – Firefighter Harley with Sidecar, Trevor Harms – 1942 Willy’s MB (WWII Jeep), Central Jersey Military Motor Pool – Military Vehicles, Pennington Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary, Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad, Old Glory Detailing, Hopewell Valley Emergency Services, Hopewell Borough Bike Brigade, Scouts BSA Troop 71, Robert Cherry – 1949 Ford Custom Convertible, Montgomery Fire Department #1 – Belle Mead,
HVCHS Marching Band Black and Gold, Cub Scout Pack 185 – Montgomery, Montgomery Fire Department #2 – Blawenburg, Rocky Hill Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, Rocky Hill First Aid Squad – 53EMS, Princeton Auto Sports, Hopewell Valley Girl Scouts, Hopewell Public Library, Amanda Flanders – 1993 Ford F-150, Montgomery Township Troop 46, Middlebush Volunteer Fire Department – Franklin Township Fire District One Somerset County,
Fairgrown Farm & The Chubby’s Project, Tyler Walton, Leila Davis, Jake Lengle, Max Rosse, Jarrett Spranger, Dylan Drift, and Steven Walters, Jr.
According to Hopewell Parade Co-Chairs Julie Paul and Ali Myers, the Blawenburg Band will be playing next to the reviewing stand off of Broad Street and Dana Pontani, a teacher at Hopewell Elementary School, is set to be singing at the reviewing stand.
Pontani will also be singing at the closing ceremony at Hopewell Elementary after the parade.
Editor’s note: Story has been updated to include additional information regarding the Hopewell Borough parade