ADDISON COUNTY — Towns all over Addison County — and Brandon — this coming weekend will honor the memories of those who gave their lives in service of their country. Highlights will include not only parades, but also post-parade ceremonies. Those Memorial Day ceremonies may include traditional readings such as “In Flanders Fields” and President Abraham Lincoln’s stirring Gettysburg Address; music provided by school groups, bagpipe bands and fife-and-drum corps; prayers; and guest speakers who offer historical context and meaning for the day of memory.

As more than one veteran or survivor of a military casualty will remind you, Memorial Day is more than a parade. It is an occasion to remember those who served our country with their lives, and it is a constant reminder that the freedom we enjoy has come at a cost and that we must be vigilant to protect our freedom in the future. It is a small way to honor and remember.

ORWELL EVENTS

But, yes, there are parades.

Before Memorial Day itself officially arrives on Monday, Orwell will honor the memory of those who served with its traditional Sunday afternoon parade. The town’s 50th annual Memorial Day Parade will line up at 12:30 p.m. on North Orwell Road and step off at 1:30 p.m.

“For the 50th Orwell Memorial Day Parade, our Grand Marshal will be ALL VETERANS!” parade organizer George Macedo announced on Facebook. “We honor you and the veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Veterans will be at the front of the parade this year, please join us!”

The Catamount Pipe Band has confirmed its appearance in the parade lineup, as well as the Cast Off 8’s Square Dance Club and the local Girl Scouts. The 45-minute parade also typically features American Legion color guards, local Shriners, the Fair Haven Union High School band, plenty of old and new classic cars, and veterans from many service branches.

And don’t forget the antique tractors.

The parade route runs east on Main Street from North Orwell Road before turning onto Church Street, circling Roberts Avenue, and bending back west onto Main Street. The parade concludes with a ceremony on the town green.

MIDDLEBURY PARADE

The annual Memorial Day parade in Middlebury will, of course, be held this coming Monday, May 26. American Legion Post 27, the town of Middlebury and the large number of guests attending will honor the more than 1 million men and women who have lost their lives defending America since the Revolutionary War.

The parade, which will include its usual accompaniment of military color guard, fire trucks, bands, civic groups and cute kids. They will assemble in the college’s Middlebury Arts Center parking lots at 8:30 a.m. and commence at 9 a.m. Marchers will proceed from Porter Field Road north on South Main Street, through the traffic circle, around the green and end at Court Square.

MCTV will have a stationary camera set up at the town offices, with live video and commentary streamed online.

There will be a ceremony following the parade at the Soldier’s Monument in front of the Town Hall Theater.

There is still time for those wanting to participate. Contact the Middlebury American Legion Post 27 at 802-388- 9311 and speak with the bartender on duty or email [email protected] indicating the name of the group or organization, the number and nature of participation (walkers, vehicle, float, etc.), and a contact name and telephone number.

BRANDON ON MONDAY

The Brandon Memorial Day parade will have a slight change in its traditional route. Participants will muster at 9:30 a.m. on Park Street Extension, and the parade steps off at 10 a.m. Marchers will start from the corner of High Street and Marble Street and parade down Park Street to the Civil War monument and gazebo in Central Park for Flower Girls and Memorial Exercises.

The Legion Post Color Guard and other veterans will march, and joining them will be the Otter Valley Union High and Neshobe Elementary school bands, who will both also play at the ceremony after the parade. Neshobe second-graders will lay flowers on the monument during the ceremony, and Neshobe students will read traditional selections.

“All are politely reminded that Memorial Day is not the same thing as the Fourth of July. It is a solemn observance of sacrifice rather than an occasion of entertainment and frivolity,” Brandon Town Manager Seth Hopkins said in a social media post. “There will be time for fun together on July 5th at Brandon’s Independence Day Celebration with festivities and fireworks.”

CITY PARADE

In Vergennes American Legion Post 14 organizes Vermont’s largest Memorial Day parade every year.

This year’s theme is “Honoring, Courage & Sacrifice,” and retired Lt. Col. John Medenwald will be Parade Marshal. The parade honors all the men and women who have served our country during times of conflict and gave the ultimate sacrifice. It is designed to appeal to both Veterans and our community as a whole.

As always, the parade starts at Vergennes Union High School at 11 a.m. and winds its way along Monkton Road and Main, South Maple, Victory and Green streets until it reaches the city green, where the post-parade ceremony will be held. The parade will include an even larger mix than Middlebury’s of floats, farm equipment, classic cars, fire trucks, bands, Shriners, politicians and more.

The ceremony will feature guest speaker John Broadmeadow, president of Norwich University and a retired three-star Marine Corps general.

Parade participation is free along the 1.5-mile route through downtown Vergennes.

All participants are required to prominently display patriotic-style decorations in keeping with the purpose and theme of the parade: Honoring, Courage & Sacrifice.

Following the parade and the remembrance ceremony in the park, the American Legion Post 14 will host a Chicken BBQ at the Post, located at 100 Armory Lane.

Whether you’re marching, riding a float, driving a classic car, or representing a community group, the Legion would love to have you be part of this meaningful tradition, and you can do so by signing up here: tinyurl.com/Vparade2025.

For questions, please contact Martha DeGraaf at [email protected].

BRISTOL WRAPS IT UP

You can end your Memorial Day festivities on a note that is appropriately somber. Bristol’s American Legion Post 19 will host its 2025 Memorial Day Ceremony on the village green at 1 p.m. on May 26.

The ceremony will be emceed by Post Commander Ron LaRose, who will supervise the laying of a wreath on the Veterans Memorial in the park. He expects to have a guest speaker from the Vermont National Guard, but as of press time he hadn’t finalized the details.

LaRose, who has led Post 19 for years, served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard for 39 years. He retired in 2005 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He will offer his thoughts on the meaning and importance of Memorial Day, as well.

The entire ceremony is expected to last 30-45 minutes. There will be no parade in Bristol this year.

All are welcome at Bristol’s Memorial Day Ceremony.