This Memorial Day brings a number of events to honor the military throughout the Historic Triangle, both solemn and service-oriented.
Ceremonies
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, Greenfield Senior Living of Williamsburg will hold a pinning ceremony at their center. All veterans and surviving spouses who attend will receive a service pin. Call 220-4014 to reserve seating.
Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown will hold their annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, rain or shine. Starting with prayers at 10 a.m., there will also be the playing of Taps and a procession through the Grace Church graveyard – dating back to the 1690s – to replace the flags on the graves of more than 70 veterans across six wars.
Colonial Williamsburg will be commemorating Memorial Day on Monday with events throughout the historic city that do not require a ticket. Starting at 10 a.m., there will be a service honoring veterans who died while fighting, following by a procession with Fife and Drum support from the Palace to Bruton Parish Church. Wreaths will be laid to honor soldiers from the American Revolution and Civil War.
Starting at noon Monday, the York County Historical Committee invites guests to the War Memorial Monument in front of York Hall for a ceremony with color guard and veteran. They will also announce the results of the Memorial Day Poster/Essay Contest for York County students, which the theme was D-Day theme, looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of the event June 6.
Colonial National Historical Park and York County will commemorate Yorktown’s Civil War history on Saturday and Sunday with special activities at Yorktown Battlefield and an exhibit at the Yorktown National Cemetery Lodge. The battlefield activities — including military and surgical demonstrations, re-enactments and a re-created Confederate hospital incised the Nelson House — will run between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
A wreath-laying ceremony will be held 1 p.m. Sunday at the Yorktown National Cemetery and adjacent Confederate Cemetery, where the public is invited to place fresh flowers on soldiers’ graves. For more information on Civil War events happening in York County, visit the Yorktown website.
Recreational Activities
Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf will host the eighth annual Putting for Patriots fundraiser this weekend. The course has been collecting donations to support three organizations that benefit the troops – Hope for the Warriors, Homes for Our Troops and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – and will donate a percentage of their sales Saturday and Sunday to the groups.
The fourth annual Corvettes for the Vets Celebration Weekend rolls into the Williamsburg Winery, with proceeds benefiting the Hampton Roads USO. The event starts with a 1950s-themed dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Gabriel Archer Tavern, and continues from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday with a car show at the winery featuring more than 125 corvettes.
The Yorktown Freedom Run 5k steps off at 8 a.m. Monday from Grafton High School, with on-site registration starting at 6:30 a.m. Presented by the Yorktown Rotary Club, the event benefits multiple local charities.
Shorty’s Diner will host a car show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to benefit Wounded Warriors. The show is open to all makes, models and years, with a $10 registration fee per vehicle. Spectators are free and there will also be a DJ and 50/50 raffle.
