Veterans to be spotlighted this year
By: Kara Fitzpatrick
The annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony, sponsored by The Spirit of Princeton, will be held in Princeton Borough on Saturday, May 27.
The parade, set to begin at 10 a.m., will travel down Nassau Street from Princeton Avenue to Borough Hall. The ceremony, which will begin at 11 a.m. at Borough Hall, will follow the parade. According to organizers, the events will take place rain or shine.
Parade organizer Teri McIntire said the festivities promise to appeal to the entire family. Ms. McIntire said families could begin the day at the Rotary Club of Princeton pancake breakfast, which will be held on the Palmer Square green from 8 a.m. to noon.
"You can make it a real family day," Ms. McIntire said. "It’s a wonderful community event for that reason."
This year, the events are intended to focus more on the veterans themselves, Ms. McIntire said. For example, a ceremony keynote speaker will be replaced by the recognition and honoring of area World War II veterans, she said.
"The biggest change this year is we’re really trying to bring out as many veterans as possible and make them the central focus of the parade," Ms. McIntire said.
In addition, this year’s parade will feature an open-air trolley for the convenience of veterans, Ms. McIntire said. Veterans can park their cars at Princeton Borough Hall, be picked up by the trolley at 9:15 a.m. and be driven to the start of the parade route. The trolley will then join the parade route and return to Borough Hall for the ceremony. All veterans are invited to ride on the trolley and no registration is required.
"We’re hoping that this is much more convenient for them," Ms. McIntire said.
Also, the patriotic bicycle brigade will provide children with the opportunity to participate in the parade. All children in pre-kindergarten to fifth grade are invited to decorate a bicycle, wagon or tricycle and ride it in the parade. Children who wish to be in the patriotic bicycle brigade must be accompanied by an adult and should meet at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of Murray Place and Aiken Avenue, where a volunteer will assist them. No registration is required to participate in the bicycle brigade.
The parade line of the march will feature the Princeton Borough Police Department and Color Guard, the Princeton Township Police Department and Color Guard, Rotary Club of Princeton, the Princeton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a number of local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, local athletic teams, antique cars and more.
The Spirit of Princeton is a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire civic pride and citizen involvement in the community through the sponsorship of a number of events, including the Memorial Day parade and ceremony, Flag Day, July 4 fireworks and Veterans Day.