Memorial Day Parades 2025 in New York

Memorial Day is a national holiday in the US, observed on the last Monday in May, and lots of travelers head to NYC for Memorial Day Weekend. The festival honors men and women who served and sacrificed their lives for the United States. New York City credits the fallen heroes with parades in five boroughs. The largest parades take place in Queens and Brooklyn, but patriotic parades take place in different parts of the city.

Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade (May 26, 2025)

One of NYC's most iconic and largest occasions to mark the holiday is definitely the annual Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade in Queens. Memorial Day begins with an Interfaith Service at the Oakland Little Neck Jewish Center at 10 am. The Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Monument Park in Divine Wisdom Schoolyard takes place at 11:15 am. Після цих подій буде відбуаватися Veterans' Continental-style Breakfast at Father Smith Hall at 1 pm. The parade walk usually starts from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard at 2 pm. This long-lasting tradition stems from the old 1927. Hence comes its proud naming of a "quintessentially American hometown tradition." The parade involves young and old, working and retired, stay-at-home moms and dads, and local businesses—in other words, every type of the Big Apple's residents.

Brooklyn's Memorial Day Parade (May 26, 2025)

The second most favorite place to make memories during this special Monday is Brooklyn’s 158th Memorial Day Parade. It usually steps off at 11 am from 78th Street and Third Avenue to 101st and Fourth Avenue and features veterans, NYPD, NYFD personnel, and Brooklyn high-school bands. The solemn procession often ends with a memorial service at John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge. Later, you can continue celebrating at Fort Hamilton with a 21-gun salute by the U.S. Army. Note that every year boasts special guests, like the New York Veteran Corps of Artillery or Hope for the Warriors.

Other Memorial Day parades across NYC

In Manhattan, you can watch the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Day Observance on Riverside Drive (89th Street), which commonly takes place on May 30 at 10 am. Staten Island also usually holds a parade on Forest Avenue on May 30 at 10 am. Lastly, the Bronx's parade takes place on City Island.

Parades are followed by fireworks, picnics and parties, BBQ hangouts, and a six-day Fleet Week—which overlaps with Memorial Day weekend.