Each year we honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by taking the Memorial Day holiday to pay tribute to our heroes. This year, on May 29th, Washington DC will have events all day throughout the city to recognize our veterans. Here at the nation’s capital we have some of the largest parades and events for Memorial Day, including the National Memorial Day Parade and National Memorial Day Concert.
To kick off Memorial Day, the National Memorial Day Concert will pay tribute to our soldiers on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in this multi-award-winning televised event on May 28th. From 8 pm – 9:30 pm ET, the concert will feature musical performances, documentary footage, and dramatic readings that encapsulate the impact and sacrifice these men and women made and continue to make for our country.
Annually, the National Memorial Day Parade here in DC is largest Memorial Day parade in the country. Thousands of Americans gather on Constitution Avenue to see veterans, marching bands, and performers execute the timeline of American military history from the Revolutionary War to present day. This year, the event will start at 2 pm and head down the National Mall ending by the West Potomac Park.
For the past 30 years the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally has been a special Memorial Day event in DC honoring those who served in the Vietnam War. Over 900,000 motorcycle riders from around the country come to DC to participate in the event and pay their tribute. This year, the rally will take place at 8 am on Sunday, May 29th and will run from the Pentagon through to the West Potomac Park.
In addition to these events, DC has beautiful memorials and monuments attributed to each of the wars that Americans fought for the preservation of our freedom. The World War II Memorial, near our Washington DC bed and breakfast, is one of the many meaningful memorials dedicated to our veterans in our city. In between the events, you can pay tribute by going to the memorials and seeing the names of our fallen heroes.
Shannon Stiles, Innkeeper at American Guest House
