Photo courtesy of Chicago dept. of cultural affairs
The annual Chicago Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. This year’s parade is scheduled for May 25, 2024.
Head to Daley Plaza in the Chicago Loop to witness the moving Wreath Laying Ceremony at 11 am at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza (Dearborn and Washington Streets).
Watch live bands, military troops and colorful floats during the Memorial Day Parade, which kicks off on State Street between Lake and VanBuren at noon.
The Chicago Memorial Day Parade is one of the largest in the U.S. Arrive early to grab a good viewing spot along State Street, south near Van Buren or Jackson usually have fewer crowds.
Gold Star Families
Gold Star family members are identified by the Gold Star Lapel Pin and the Next of Kin Lapel Pin which is presented to families who have lost a loved one in the United States Armed Forces to combat operations or while on active duty.
Approved by Congress beginning in 1947, the Gold Star Pins are not an award, but symbols of honor worn by family members in remembrance of their fallen loved ones and the ultimate sacrifice they made.
The City of Chicago will give special recognition to the fallen heroes and their survivors at the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony and Memorial Day Parade.
Memorial Day History per US Department of Veteran Affairs
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies.
After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Chicago Memorial Day Parade
State Street between Van Buren and Lake
May 25, 2025. noon
Free
