Wilmette and Winnetka residents can observe Memorial Day, honoring men and women of the U.S. military who died in service to their country, with parades and ceremonies in both villages on May 30.
Memorial Day activities in Wilmette will begin with a parade organized by American Legion Peter Huerter Post 46, according to Legion representative Mike Jonscher. Parade participants, including veterans, Scouting and other community organizations, will gather at 10 a.m. in the St. Joseph School parking lot at Lake Avenue and Ridge Road.
The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and will head east on Lake Avenue to Park Avenue, south on Park Avenue to Wilmette Avenue, then east on Wilmette Avenue to Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Ave., at the intersection of Wilmette and Central avenues. A ceremony will be held at the War memorial on the Village Hall lawn at approximately 11 a.m., he said.
Jonscher said the ceremony will include speeches and a rifle salute by the Wilmette Police Department rifle squad. The Wilmette Community Band will also perform during the ceremony.
Events in Winnetka, sponsored by the Village of Winnetka and the Winnetka Park District, will begin at 10 a.m. with a parade. The parade begins at the corner of Glendale and Elm streets and heads east on Elm, ending at the Village Green. The featured speaker at the ceremony is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Craggs, who served two tours in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2016.
According to the village and the park district, the ceremony will move to The Skokie School’s auditorium in the event of inclement weather.
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