10 Memorial Day events, celebrations and tributes in the D.C. area (2024)

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Rockville Hometown Holidays Music Fest at RedGate Park

The city of Rockville’s free, family-friendly music festival brings in 1990s alt-rock radio fixture Everclear and a Bon Jovi/Journey tribute band to headline its two-day run. (BonJourneyNY’s set starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and Everclear plays Sunday at 5:45 p.m.) Beyond the main acts, the pair of stages at Hometown Holidays host all sorts of music, from Colombian folk fusion to go-go to big band. Meanwhile, kids can jump in a moon bounce, create crafts or build sand castles in a sand dune. Beverage booths and a food court provide refreshments, with poutine, gyro platters, bubble tea and shaved ice among the offerings. Noon to 7 p.m. each day. Free.

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ViVa! Vienna! Festival

This Memorial Day weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the ViVa! Vienna! festival, an annual community event sponsored by the Rotary Club of Vienna that brings funnel cake and merry-go-round rides to the pedestrianized streets around Vienna Town Green. Kids will love the traditional amusem*nt rides, vendors selling treats like cotton candy and entertainment from the Vienna Singing Princesses, while adults can spend time in the BrewFest beer garden with brews from Caboose Brewing Co. and Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. and listen to cover bands on multiple stages. Shuttle buses will ferry visitors to the festival from the Vienna Metro station and an overflow parking lot. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission; tickets required for BrewFest, raffle and rides.

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Flowers of Remembrance Day at Arlington National Cemetery

For most of the year, the only people allowed to set foot on the plaza next to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery are the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” who keep a vigil at the site 24 hours a day. But since 2022, the cemetery has allowed the public to enter the plaza to lay flowers at the tomb on Memorial Day, a solemn tradition dubbed Flowers of Remembrance. Visitors who want to lay flowers are asked to register in advance on memorialdayflowers.org; flowers will be provided, and visitors should not bring their own. At 10 a.m., cemetery historians give a talk about the history of Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) in the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater, followed by a walking tour. Registration is not required. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free.

National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol

PBS’s National Memorial Day Concert, which is broadcast live from the Capitol’s West Lawn, celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise are the hosts, and the National Symphony Orchestra performs alongside guests including Tony-winning singer Cynthia Erivo and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts. Tickets aren’t necessary for this free concert, but you’ll want to arrive early to get a good spot — lines are often long because of the security screenings and bag searches. The public is also able to attend the concert’s dress rehearsal on Saturday. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the concert begins at 8. Free.

A Salute to Service: Honoring America’s Heroes at MGM National Harbor

Grammy-nominated soul and Americana duo the War and Treaty join three U.S. Air Force musical ensembles — the rock band Max Impact, the jazzy big band Airmen of Note and the Air Force Strings — for a performance at the MGM National Harbor’s Theater. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free; registration required.

14th annual Memorial Day Choral Festival at the Kennedy Center

Choirs from across the United States are joining forces to create a 200-voice ensemble, accompanied by the U.S. Air Force Band, performing a mix of patriotic favorites (“America the Beautiful”) and popular songs that have become associated with war (“Danny Boy”) in the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. The program runs 145 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. 2 p.m. Free; reservations required.

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National Memorial Day Parade

Snag a spot along Constitution Avenue NW between Seventh and 17th streets NW to watch the annual National Memorial Day Parade, led this year by World War II veterans in honor of the upcoming 80th anniversary of D-Day. Actor Anthony Anderson and sports commentator Joe Buck are the hosts for this televised parade, which features active-duty military personnel, marching bands and musicians. 2 to 4 p.m. Free.

Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and Festival

There’s plenty of activity leading up to the Memorial Day parade through the streets of Falls Church, beginning with a 3K fun run at 9 a.m. Live music kicks off at 9:15 a.m., along with a festival featuring kids’ rides, vendor booths, and sales for crafts and food. A memorial ceremony is held at 11 a.m., and the parade on Park Avenue, featuring floats, marching bands and local organizations, begins at 2 p.m. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

Annapolis Memorial Day Parade

The U.S. Naval Academy Band is among the participants in the city of Annapolis’s Memorial Day parade, which travels along West Street before looping around the historic Church Circle and heading down Main Street to end at the City Dock. 10 a.m. Free.

Honoring Native Servicemembers at the National Museum of the American Indian

Memorial Day at the National Museum of the American Indian brings an afternoon film screening and book talk paying tribute to Indigenous veterans who lost their lives while serving in the United States armed forces. Watch “The Warrior Tradition” at 2 p.m. in the Rasmuson Theater to learn about Native Americans’ experiences in the military. After the film, Alexandra N. Harris discusses her book “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces,” with a signing to follow at 3:30 p.m. 2 to 4 p.m. Free.