Pasadenans have various opportunities to honor the courageous men and women of the American military who sacrificed their lives in service to the United States. Several events are scheduled in and near Pasadena on Monday to commemorate Memorial Day.
At 9 a.m., the City of South Pasadena Community Services Department will host their annual Memorial Day Program at the War Memorial Building, located at 435 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. The program will include the presentation of the color guard by Boy Scout Troop 333, a rendition of the National Anthem by Miranda Miller, and recognition of military service personnel. The guest speaker for the event is Brock Milhorn, a Navy Veteran and Peer Support Specialist with the Veteran Peer Access Network. The program will conclude with live music performed by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Band and refreshments will be provided. For more information, please visit www.southpasadenaca.gov/events or call (626) 403-7360.
From 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Pasadena’s Memorial Park, located at the southeast corner of Walnut Street and North Raymond Avenue. The Vietnam Veterans of America – Chapter 446, in collaboration with Pasadena American Legion Post 13 and the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department, will conduct this tribute to fallen men and women who fought for our country or died as a result of injuries sustained during wartime. All are welcome to attend.
In La Cañada Flintridge, the 50th Annual Fiesta Days Parade will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The parade, featuring the Grand Marshal Miss La Cañada Flintridge Royal Court Alumni, will follow the theme “Golden Jubilee.” This Memorial Day weekend celebration aims to bring together the La Cañada Flintridge community, offering a small-town slice of Americana complete with a parade, fireworks, and more. The parade route starts at Cornishon Avenue and travels east along Foothill Boulevard to Gould Avenue. Please note that Foothill Boulevard will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. between Gould and Lasheart. The event is hosted by the LCFCC and Community Association, continuing a rich 45-year tradition of pageantry and spectacle that originated as a tribute to the city’s Spanish heritage. For more information, call 818-790-4289 or visit this link: https://members.lacanadaflintridge.com/events/details/2023-fiesta-days-parade-1160?calendarMonth=2023-05-01.
At noon in Altadena, Mountain View Cemetery, 2400 N Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena, will conduct a Memorial Day event that will feature a gun salute by Civil War reenactors wearing full costume and Civil War storytelling by historian Nick Smith. Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War will share their family stories at the event while Gen. W.S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2. of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will conduct a meaningful ceremony near the GAR Godfrey Post monument at 2:00 p.m. “We have 700 union soldiers from the Civil War. We have 72 soldiers here that were Confederates during the Civil War. So it’s like an all-day roving event storyteller,” Denny Dormody, one of the funeral directors at Mountain View said. Families are welcome to join the event. Gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., and there is plenty of parking available.
At 1 p.m., Forest Lawn in Glendale (712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, 323-340-4742, forestlawn.com) will host a Special Memorial Day Celebration to commemorate and honor the lives and memories of American veterans. The program will begin at 1:00 p.m. and feature a keynote address, patriotic music, an invocation, ceremonial wreath presentation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a color guard. Let’s come together to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of those who made immense sacrifices for our freedoms. This year, more than ever, we unite to honor the resilience and triumph of the human spirit.
Lastly, at 3 p.m., a ceremony will be held at the Enduring Heroes memorial statue in Defender’s Park, located on the southwest corner of Colorado Boulevard and North Orange Grove Avenue in Pasadena. The event aims to be simple yet meaningful, with attendees invited to place American flags at the monument. A beautiful wreath will also be displayed in remembrance of the heroes. Several local Gold Star families, along with City officials and community members, are expected to attend in memory of our brave warriors. For more information, please see the provided link.
