CHICAGO (WLS) — The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events present Chicago’s Memorial Day parade and wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday, May 28.
The Wreath Laying Ceremony will begin at 11 am on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets);The parade will then step off at noon and proceed south on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street and Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, Director, Air National Guard, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Chicago’s Memorial Day parade is one of the largest in the nation, it was approved by Congress beginning in 1947. Gold Star Lapel Pins and the Next of Kin Lapel Pins are presented to families not as an award, but as symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and their ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Day has a rich history, beginning shortly after the Civil War ended when Maj. Gen. John A. Logan proclaimed that the 30th day of May be designated for the purpose of decorating the graves of soldiers who died during the conflict. First observed on May 30, 1868 as “Decoration Day,” our modern day event has been expanded to honor all of our soldiers and service members who have fallen in the line of duty.
During the wreath-laying ceremony and parade, the City of Chicago honors fallen heroes and Gold Star family members who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty.
The wreath-laying ceremony is on Daley Plaza at 50 West Washington Street at 11:00 am, followed by the parade at noon on State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street
Sheffield Avenue from Belmont Avenue to Roscoe Street will be closed for the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
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