Memorial Day remembrances in the NW suburbs
Memorial Day will be commemorated all weekend in the Northwest suburbs, with numerous ceremonies, an arts festival, a carnival and the traveling Vietnam Wall.
Carnival
Mount Prospect Jaycees Memorial Day Carnival: Wednesday, May 20-Monday, May 25, in the Mount Prospect Plaza parking lot, Rand and Central roads. Opens at 6 p.m. May 20, 21 and 22. Opens at 1 p.m. May 23, 24 and 25. Parking free. Rides are $1.25 per ticket or 20 for $20 (2-4 tickets per ride). $16 unlimited ride special 6 p.m.-close on Wednesday and Thursday (May 20, 21). Contact Juliet at MPPresident@mpjaycees.org or (847) 289-4395.
Vietnam Wall
The traveling Vietnam Wall will be open 5 p.m. Friday, May 22 through 7 p.m. Monday, May 25 at the Streamwood Veterans Memorial next to the village hall, 301 E. Irving Park Road. POW/MIA candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. Friday; a 24-hour vigil guard begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, ending at 11 a.m. Sunday when the ceremony begins.
Prairie Arts Festival
The annual Prairie Arts Festival is 10 a.m.-5 p.m., May 23-24, on the grounds of the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, adjacent to the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Fine art show and sale featuring artists, food vendors, and live music. Free admission. (847) 923-3605; (847) 895-3600; prairiecenter.org.
Parades, ceremonies
• Arlington Heights: Memorial Day parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 25 from Arlington Heights Road and Sigwalt Street; west on Sigwalt to Dunton, north on Dunton to Euclid, west on Euclid to Chestnut, south on Chestnut to Memorial Park for a ceremony. (847) 253-5960.
• Barrington: Memorial Day parade and services, Monday, May 25. Veterans gather at 6 a.m. for breakfast, then visit local cemeteries before coming back downtown to Cook and Station streets for 10 a.m. parade. The route ends at Evergreen Cemetery for a short service and performances by the Barrington High School band and Barrington Children's Choir. Wayne, (847) 382-4102 or waynetegeder@yahoo.com.
• Bartlett: Memorial Day Walk and Remembrance on Monday, May 25. Starts with an American Legion flag retirement ceremony, 10 a.m. at Bartlett Park, Oak and North avenues; at 10:30 a.m. veterans, Scouts, civic groups and bagpipers line up for the walk to Bartlett Cemetery, which steps off at 11 a.m. At the cemetery, a brief program honoring Bartlett's local heroes. Paula Schumacher, (630) 837-0800.
• Buffalo Grove: Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25 in Knopf Cemetery, Arlington Heights Road just north of Checker Road.
• Des Plaines: Memorial Day parade and several commemorations on Monday, May 25. 10 a.m. parade starts from Maine West High School at the Howard Avenue parking lot; east on Howard to Lake Park Memorial Pavilion for a ceremony and wreath laying. Followed by hourlong concert by the University of Iowa PanAmerican Steel Band. (847) 452-6991 or desplaines.org. Before the parade, ceremonies are 7 a.m. at the American Legion, 1291 Oakwood, Des Plaines; 8 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery; and 8:30 a.m. at Ridgewood Cemetery. Steven, (847) 452-6991.
• Hoffman Estates: Memorial Day event, 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, at the Veterans Memorial outside the Hoffman Estates Police Department, 1200 Gannon Drive. Hosted by Hoffman Estates Veterans Memorial Commission. Free parking in the police department parking lot. Lt. J.C. Paez at (847) 781-2844.
• Mount Prospect: Memorial Day parade, 9:35 a.m. Monday, May 25. Starts at Emerson and Busse, south on Emerson to Lincoln to the Veterans Memorial Band Shell at Lions Park for a ceremony. Veterans are especially encouraged to join in. Bob Fey, (847) 299-3510.
• Palatine: American Legion Memorial Day parade starts at 10:15 a.m. Monday, May 25, at Cornell Avenue and Eric Drive, ends at the Veterans Memorial in Community Park, Palatine Road and Northwest Highway. An 11 a.m. ceremony at the park is followed by another brief ceremony at 12:15 p.m. at Town Square. Free. (847) 359-1606.
• Rolling Meadows: Parade steps off 11 a.m. Saturday, May 23; Kirchoff Road between Meadow and Owl Drive will be closed 10:50-11:35 a.m. The parade will feature the Rolling Meadows High School Band, veterans, military personnel and city officials; the parade goes along Kirchoff Road, from Meadow Drive to the Carillon Pavilion. A ceremony at the pavilion follows.
• Schaumburg: Memorial Day ceremony, 11 a.m. May 25, hosted by the Schaumburg VFW Post 2202 at Veterans Gateway Park in Town Square on the southwest corner of Schaumburg and Roselle roads.
• Streamwood: Ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 24 at the Streamwood veterans memorial next to the village hall, 301 E. Irving Park Road. 11 a.m. Sunday marks the end of the 24-hour vigil guard in place at the Traveling Vietnam Wall.
• Wheeling: Memorial Day parade and AMVETS post picnic on Monday, May 25: Parade is 10-11 a.m. from the Sam's Club parking lot at McHenry and Weiland roads, south on McHenry (Route 83) to AMVETS Post 66 at 700 McHenry Road for 15-minute ceremony at the tank and flag. A picnic/corn roast on AMVETS property to follow. (847) 537-0440.