Every generation faces its call. For many, that moment came in the form of sacrifice: on distant battlefields, in quiet acts of courage, and in the defense of freedom itself.
This Memorial Day, we remember those who answered that call and gave everything. This Memorial Day join us in honoring the legacy of those who fought for our freedoms.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
The tradition of a flag-raising ceremony at the Music Pier dates back to July 4, 1940, and the event took on new meaning in the World War II years that followed before it was discontinued in 1946. In more recent years, Jim Gillian, owner of Gillian’s Island Water Park, first erected a flagpole during construction of an adjacent mini-golf course. The flag was requested by a veteran POW who ran the boardwalk every day. The flag-raising ceremony in front of the park began after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and has been held daily every summer since then from Memorial Day to Sept. 11th.
The National Memorial Day Concert will air on Sunday, May 24th on PBS, hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise.
The concert airs from 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ET, as well as to troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on Facebook, YouTube and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 29 to June 12.
OCEAN CITY MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY 2026
The annual Ocean City Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 25th. It will be held at Veterans Memorial Park, Wesley Avenue between 5th Street and 6th Street at 11:00 AM.
Food and refreshments back at the post following the ceremony.
LOCATION: Wesley Avenue between 5th Street & 6th Street, Ocean City
DATE: Monday, May 25, 2026
TIME: 11:00 AM
CAPE MAY COUNTY VETERANS CEMETERY
There will be a Memorial Day Ceremony held at CMC Veterans Cemetery on Monday afternoon, May 25th at 2:00 PM. Hope you can attend!
LOCATION: 127 Crest Haven Rd, Cape May Court House, NJ
DATE: Monday, May 25, 2026
TIME: 2:00 PM
The National Moment of Remembrance is also set for May 25th. Established by Congress, the event asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for one minute.
Greg Murphy of Taps For Veterans (tapsforveterans.org) will sound Taps from the Ocean City Music Pier at 3:00PM to commemorate the moment. The performance will be broadcast on the boardwalk public address system.
The National Memorial Day Parade returns LIVE to Constitution Avenue this Memorial Day, May 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
Attend the parade live, in person, or watch on television around the country and around the world, as the story of American sacrifice is shared from Washington, DC and beyond. Then, stay tuned for our very special Independence Day television companion: Our Sacred Honor: An American Salute. Airing on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW stations nationwide, the National Memorial Day Parade and Our Sacred Honor commemorate the shared values of service and sacrifice that have brought us together throughout our history.