Here’s a roundup of events this weekend to mark Memorial Day ceremonies Saturday through Monday:
Veterans will gather at township memorial
The Hopewell Valley Veterans Association will present its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday, May 28, starting at 11 a.m., at the Veterans Memorial in Hopewell Township’s Alliger Park, which on Route 546 next to the Hopewell Township Municipal Complex.
Lunch will be provided. Bring a lawn chair.
“Our veterans gave us our freedom. We can give them one hour,” said township resident Mike Chipowsky.
Veterans are encouraged to participate in local parades.
On Sunday, May 29, all veterans are asked to muster at the Hopewell Post 339 Headquarters at 17 Model Ave. in Hopewell at noon for the Hopewell Memorial Day Parade. If you need a ride to the event, call Ken Baker at 609-462-4846.
On Monday, May 30, veterans will rendezvous at the Hopewell Valley School Administration Building on South Main Street in Pennington at 10 a.m. for the Pennington Memorial Day Parade.
Pennington starts holiday with gun salute
Pennington’s Memorial Day Parade events kick off at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 30, when American Legion Post 339 will memorialize veterans with a 21-gun salute at each of the town monuments.
They will start at St. James Chapel on Eglantine Ave., proceed to Pennington Presbyterian Cemetery, Sun Bank Veteran Monument and finish at the African American Cemetery on South Main.
The parade line up begins at 10 a.m. at 425 South Main St. and the march will promptly start at 11. The route is South Main Street to West Delaware to Green Street. The “Kids On Bikes Brigade ” should check in at Toll Gate Grammar School at 10:15 a.m. Judging of decorated, bikes, scooters, wagons will take place prior to start of the parade and prizes will be awarded.
The day will end with a concert on the town green, Howe Commons, at 65 S. Main St., featuring the local “Sourland Band” from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Bring a blanket and picnic and enjoy the evening with friends.
For information, call Pennington Borough offices at 609-737-0276.
Hopewell parade event is Sunday
The Hopewell Fire Department organizes the Hopewell Borough Memorial Day Parade, which will take place on Sunday, May 29. Line-up is at 12:30 p.m., with step-off at 1 p.m.
There will be music by Blawenburg Band by the reviewing stand on Broad Street. After the parade, there will be a ceremony at the school with refreshments, awards and music by Dana and Walter Varhley. The public is invited to the ceremony.
Civil War remembrance in Montgomery
The Stoutsburg Cemetery Association will hold a Memorial Day service on the grounds of the Stoutsburg Cemetery, 572 Province Line Road, Montgomery, from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 29.
Dr. Linda Caldwell Epps, president and CEO of 1804 Consultants, an organization dedicated to the advancement of educational and cultural organizations as a path to understanding among diverse populations, will speak. Her subject is “Honoring Our Veterans: The African American presence in the Sourland Mountains and Hopewell Valley.”
Organizers says there are 12 known Civil War veterans buried at Stoutsburg Cemetery.
Bring a chair if you plan to attend.
Historic park event at Washington Crossing Park
Washington Crossing Historic Park will hold a Memorial Day observance on Sunday, May 29, at 1 p.m. at the gravesite of Continental soldiers on the Pennsylvania side of the park. The event is free.
The observation will include a colonial color guard, the Old Barracks Fife & Drum Corps, Revolutionary War re-enactors, the Guardians of the National Cemetery Firing Party, Daughters of the American Revolution, veterans, Boy Scouts and guests. American flags will be placed on the graves.
The gravesite marks the resting place of soldiers who died during the Continental Army’s December 1776 encampment in Bucks County. Although no Americans were killed during the river crossing and the First Battle of Trenton, some soldiers succumbed to exposure, disease or previous injuries.
James Moore, a 26-year-old artillery captain from a New York regiment, is the only veteran buried in this plot whose identity is known. The gravesite is located near the park’s Thompson-Neely House, about two miles south of New Hope at the intersection of Route 32 and Aquetong Road.
For information, call 215-493-4076.
