Memorial Day 2023 celebrations include parades, festivals and more

By Anne Schrager

Celebrated on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day will see Bay Area organizations marking the occasion with parades, wreath-laying ceremonies, cemetery memorial services and local presentations honoring American soldiers.

Along with solemn observances, though, the three-day weekend culminating May 29, offers an abundance of warm-season fun and festive happenings, including Carnaval San Francisco and the return of the Union Street Festival. You can hit the beach or backyard for an afternoon barbecue, get some picking and plucking in at the San Francisco Folk Music Club’s Memorial Day weekend campout, or brave the crowds at the 10-year anniversary of Napa’s BottleRock festival and more.

Services, ceremonies and parades

Royal Canadian Legion Memorial Day Service

Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion San Francisco Bay Area plans to host a program honoring the holiday with members of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Arkansas Division.

11 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 27. Free. Greenlawn Memorial Park, 1100 El Camino Real, Colma. 203-997-6330. royalcanadianlegionus25.com

USS San Francisco Memorial Day Event

Honor the sailors and Marines who gave their lives during the historic World War II Battle of Guadalcanal aboard the USS San Francisco in 1942. The event will feature live music from the Sea Cadet Band of the West and the Vallejo Choral Society, and a program featuring keynote speaker Capt. Travis Petzoldt, USN and others.

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 28. Free, registration required. USS San Francisco Memorial, end of El Camino Del Mar, Lands End, S.F. 415-334-0263. usssanfrancisco.org

Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery Memorial Day Service

Commemorate Memorial Day at the oldest military cemetery on the West Coast.

Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, May 29. Free. Birch Road, Benicia. 707-693-2460. cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/BeniciaArsenal.asp

San Rafael Memorial Day Service

Marin County United Veterans Council conducts a program featuring patriotic music, speakers, a flag display and wreath-laying ceremony.

9 a.m. Monday, May 29. Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415-473-7000. marincounty.org

USS Hornet Memorial Day Service

Observe the occasion on board the USS Hornet with a wreath toss and ceremony, color guard presentations, live music, guest speakers and a USS Hornet Official Memorial Squadron Flyover.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, May 29. Included with museum admission; veterans free. 707 W. Hornet Ave., Pier 3, Alameda. 510-521-8448. uss-hornet.org

Mountain View Cemetery Memorial Day Commemoration

Presentation of colors, salute to the fallen and spoken remarks.

10 a.m. Monday, May 29. Free. 5000 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. mountainviewcemetery.org

Hillsborough Memorial Day

The town parade kicks off an afternoon filled with Memorial Day activities, including an observance and memorial ceremony followed by a carnival with live local music and food trucks onsite.

Parade at 10 a.m.; memorial service at 11:15 a.m.; music fest at 11:45 a.m. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday, May 29. Free. Town Hall, 1600 Floribunda Ave., Hillsborough. 650-375-7400. hillsborough.net/281/memorial-day

Mill Valley Salutes Memorial Day 

Mark the holiday with a small-town parade, preceded by a memorial service at 9:45 a.m. Stake out a spot near downtown’s Lytton Square, where some of those marching will pause for brief performances. Be ready for singing, dancing, creative floats and more. A carnival and live music concert continue Monday’s festivities at the community center after the parade.

10:30 a.m. Monday, May 29. Free. Parade route runs from Old Mill Park to Mount Tamalpais High School along Miller Avenue, Mill Valley. mviloveaparade.com

S.F. Presidio Memorial Day Observance

Following a ceremony and salute at the National Cemetery at 11 a.m., Presidio Chapel will host a meditative concert by organist Rev. James Parrish Smith. The Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno will also hold a morning Memorial Day ceremony.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, May 29. Free. Presidio Main Post, 50 Moraga Ave., S.F. and Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, The Presidio, S.F. 415-561-3930. interfaithpresidio.org

Festivals and other events

626 Night Market: Bay Area

Full of interesting food and fun, the festival is set to feature more than 200 local food, merchandise, arts and craft vendors, as well as games, live music and entertainment for all ages.

3-11 p.m. Friday, May 26; 1- 11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 27-28. $5-$10, reservations encouraged. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton. 626nightmarket.com

Mill Valley Memorial Day Community Celebration

Bring the family for four days of old-fashioned fun with carnival rides and games, live entertainment and food vendors. On Monday, a “Day on the Green” festival will include live music from El Radio Fantastique, Greg Loiacano and Stingray; food and drink vendors and more.

Carnival: 4-10 p.m. Friday, May 26; noon-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 27-28; noon-5 p.m. May 29. Free-$40. Mill Valley Middle School, 180 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley. “Day on the Green”: noon-5 p.m. May 30. Friends Field, Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. kiddo.org

Memorial Day Weekend Bay Area Kidfest

This long-running annual Bay Area family event is set to feature live entertainment, activities, food vendors, carnival rides, Silver Starlets aerialist performance, a sea lion show, meet and greets for the kids with Pete the Cat and Llama Llama, arts and crafts and exhibitors.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 27-28; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, May 29. $9, under 2 and seniors free. Mount Diablo High School, 2450 Grant St., Concord. 925-408-4014. kidfestconcord.com

Point Reyes Memorial Day Weekend Open Studios

Tour artists’ studios in the Point Reyes Station, Inverness and Inverness Park area over the holiday weekend. Featuring an assemblage of West Marin sculptors, photographers, potters, painters, glass artists, jewelry makers, fiber artists and woodworkers with studios open to the public. Location details can be found online.

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday, May 27-29. Free. Various artist studios, Point Reyes Station. pointreyesart.com

San Ramon Art and Wind Festival

The annual celebration of all things that fly features fine arts, crafts and specialty food vendors, live entertainment on three stages, children’s activities, professional kite-flying demonstrations and a kite-making workshop.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Monday May 28-29. Free. Central Park, 12501 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon. 925-973-3200. artandwind.com

49th Annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firemen’s Barbecue

The popular annual fundraising event is scheduled to include barbecue or vegetarian tamale lunch, desserts, and live music with Pardon the Interruption and the Andre Pessis All-Stars. There will be craft beer and wine, a raffle and family-friendly fun.

Noon-5 p.m. Sunday, May 28. $10-$30. Santos Meadows, Frank Valley Road, Muir Beach. 415-381-8793. muirbeachfire.com

OuterLimits Memorial Day Weekend Party

There will be food trucks, live art, aerialists, DJs and live music performances on three stages including Mikey Lion, Juan MacLean, Starfari, Mz. Worthy and others as part of a 12-hour indoor/outdoor celebration.

2 p.m. Sunday, May 28. $10-$30, reservations recommended; 21 and older. The Great Northern, 111 Utah St., S.F. thegreatnorthernsf.com

Cavallo Point Lodge Memorial Day Barbecue

Enjoy the panoramic views and fresh air at a family-friendly, afternoon barbecue lunch with a kite-making workshop, beer and wine, and live music from Dore Coller’s Bermudagrass Combo. 

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, May 29. $15-$65, reservations required. Cavallo Point Lodge, 601 Murray Circle, Sausalito. 415-339-4700. cavallopoint.com

Poolside Memorial Day Party with Musa Keys

Afrobeats Oakland will host an all-Afrobeats and Amapiano party poolside at the legendary Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco. 

2-7 p.m. Monday, May 29. $10-$30, reservations recommended; 21 and older. Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy St., S.F. phoenixsf.com

28th Annual Sh*t Kicker Memorial Day Bash

Spend the afternoon and evening hanging out with a beverage at El Rio S.F.’s back patio stage, and enjoy a food pop-up along with live music from Mya Becklyn & Her Druthers, Trans-Pecos Department of Dust and Wire, Glen Earl Brown Jr., Dogweed String Band and DJ Gritz spinning old-timey country hits.

3-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 29. $10-$20. El Rio, 3158 Mission St., S.F. 415-282-3325. elriosf.com

Rancho Nicasio BBQ-on-the-Lawn Kickoff

This weekend marks the start of the North Bay venue’s outdoor weekend live music and barbecue series. Begin the summer season right with a performance by Pablo Cruise on Sunday or Los Lobos on Monday.

3:30 p.m. Sunday-Monday, May 28-29. $40, reservations recommended. Rancho Nicasio, 1 Old Rancheria Road, Nicasio. 415-662-2219. ranchonicasio.com

** This article was originally published by San Francisco Chronicle. CLICK HERE to view the full article.


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