Maine communities will honor the nation’s fallen service members on Monday with parades, ceremonies and other events throughout the state.
Here’s a list of some of the larger happenings lined up for Memorial Day in Maine. This list isn’t exhaustive, and be sure to check with organizers before finalizing any plans.
Greater Bangor
- Bangor: Bangor’s annual Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. Monday on Exchange Street and ends at Davenport Park.
- Bangor: The Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor will host a picnic at 11 a.m. Monday with food available for sale by the Courageous Steps Project. At noon, there will be music, followed by the official ceremony at 12:30 p.m. with a Color Guard presentation by the Hermon JROTC. The museum will be free of charge for the entire day.
- Old Town: The Old Town YMCA will host its annual 5K to fundraise for veterans. The event starts at 8 a.m. Monday.
Down East and Hancock
- Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at the Village Green in downtown at 10 a.m. Monday.
- Blue Hill: The Blue Hill Memorial Day parade starts after the firing of the canon at the Legion Hall located at 13 Tenney Hill Road at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
- Blue Hill: The Blue Hill Historical Society and American Legion will host a weekend-long exhibit of local military memorabilia to recognize those who have served at the BHHS Holt House and Carriage House, which will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibit will also be viewable on Monday after the start of the parade until 3 p.m.
- Ellsworth: Ellsworth will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the City Hall monument followed by a brief ceremony at the Union River bridge for those lost at sea.
- Ellsworth: The Down East Family YMCA will host its annual Memorial Mile starting at the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce on High St. at 9 a.m. Monday. Runners and walkers are welcome. Pre-registration is $20, and it is $25 on race day. Register online at runreg.com/memmile.
- Franklin: A 10 a.m. Monday ceremony will be held in Franklin at the Memorial Triangle.
- Gouldsboro: Gouldsboro’s Memorial Day ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Gouldsboro Veterans’ Memorial next to the town office.
- Hancock: Hancock will host a short parade that kicks off at 9:30 a.m Monday at the Women’s Club and continues to the town square. The ceremony will include a speaker, invocation and salute then the parade will march back.
- Northeast Harbor: Northeast Harbor’s Memorial Day Parade will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Northeast Harbor. The parade will be followed by a ceremony at the Veterans’ Memorial by the Northeast Harbor Marina.
- Sullivan: Sullivan’s Memorial Day events will be held at Sumner Park from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., where there will be a flag-folding ceremony. A remembrance wreath will be placed in Taunton Bay and flowers placed on each side of the war memorials.
- Winter Harbor: A Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the veterans’ memorial on Harbor Road in Winter Harbor. Refreshments will be served afterward at the Winter Harbor Masonic Lodge on School Street.
Central Maine
- Wayne: Wayne’s Memorial Day parade will kick off at 11 a.m. The parade route will start at the Wayne Community Church parking lot, continuing to Memorial Park where further ceremonies will be held.
- Dover-Foxcroft: Starting at 10 a.m. at the Piscataquis County Courthouse parking lot, the Memorial Day parade will travel towards the center of town to the E Main Street bridge. The parade will conclude with a ceremony at Monument Square.
Northern Maine
- Caribou: Caribou’s Memorial Day parade will start at 10 a.m. Monday at the Caribou Courthouse.
- Houlton: Houlton will start its Memorial Day parade at 9 a.m. at Soldier Hill Evergreen Cemetery. The procession will make numerous stops to place wreaths throughout the parade route. Hotdogs and hamburgers will be available at the American Legion after services.
- Presque Isle: A ceremony honoring veterans will be held at 2:45 p.m. Monday at the Presque Isle Cemetery, with taps being played at 3 p.m.
Southern Maine
- Gorham: Gorham will hold its annual Memorial Day Parade Monday, starting at 11 a.m. at Village School with the parade route ending at Eastern Cemetery on Johnson Road.
