Every year the community of New Canaan gathers on Memorial Day to remember with gratitude and honor the proud men and women who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces to protect and preserve a life of freedom for all Americans.
The Parade and Memorial Ceremony, sponsored by the Town of New Canaan and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Howard Bossa and Peter Langenus Post 653, will be held Monday May 26 starting at 9:30 a.m.
The Parade steps off from St. Mark’s Church and proceeds down Oenoke Ridge to upper Main Street, past the Wayside Cross at God’s Acre, past the Firehouse and Town Hall, and continues down Main Street to Lakeview Cemetery. There, parade watchers and marchers gather with veterans and Town officials for remarks about the true meaning and purpose of the Memorial Day holiday
This year’s Grand Marshal is Brian van der Heyden. The Guest Speaker is U.S. Marine combat veteran Chris Paksi, and Msgr. Robert Kinnally, pastor of St. Aloysius Church, will represent New Canaan clergy and lead the ceremony in prayer.
For the first time, this year’s ceremony will have a flyover by the 118th Airlift Squadron out of Bradley ANGB with a C-130 aircraft at exactly 11a.m.
No parking will be allowed on Main Street from 8 a.m. until the parade finishes.
In the event of heavy rain, a parade cancelation notice will be posted on the Town website and social media pages, and the Memorial Day Ceremony will be conducted in Town Hall at 10 a.m. with limited seating.
The Line of March
- Color Guard
- Grand Marshal
- Exchange Club
- Veterans
- Town Officials and Clergy
- Town Band
- Board of Education
- Police Department
- US Naval Sea Cadets Corps
- Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
- Girl Scouts, Brownies, Daisies and the Service Unit
- Knights of Columbus
- Boy Scouts & Cub Scouts
- New Canaan EMS
- Mount Kisco Scottish Bagpipers
- Fire Department
- Vista Fire Department
- CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
- New Canaan High School Band
- New Canaan Baseball
- New Canaan Softball
- School of Rock
- New Canaan Youth Rugby
- New Canaan Beautification League
- Staying Put in New Canaan
- Planet New Canaan
- New Canaan Mounted Troop
- GetAbout
- Waveny Lifecare Network
- New Canaan Men’s Club
- Caffeine & Carburetors
- Town of New Canaan Department of Public Works (DPW)
- America 250th Planning Committee
Introduction
Invocation
Raising of the flag
Pledge of Allegiance
Star Spangled Banner
Veterans Ceremony
Placing of wreaths and flags
Guest Speaker
Gun salute
Taps
Closing Music
Benediction
Closing comments
Final announcements
Military flyover by C-130 transport plane at 11:00 AM