From serious to fun, Memorial Day weekend events abound

The Northwest suburbs have lots of parades and cemetery services on tap to mark Memorial Day, but there are other events, too, including the Mount Prospect Jaycees' Memorial Day Carnival, which kicks off tonight.

The carnival opens at 6 p.m. today through Friday at Rand and Central roads. It opens at 1 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Parking is free and prices vary for activities. Visit mountprospectjaycees.org for more information.

Here's a look at some of the other events coming up this weekend:

SaturdaySouth Barrington: Weekend block party at the Arboretum of South Barrington, Route 59 and Higgins Road. All-day event features live entertainment, a village kite-flying event, a pet trick show, performances by a juggler and magician, rides and music. Musical entertainment includes 10,000 Maniacs. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free and open to the public. ShopTheArboretumSB.com or (847) 426-6200.Rolling Meadows: Parade and ceremony: Kirchoff Road and Meadow Drive. 11 a.m. parade goes down Kirchoff Road to the Carillon bell tower. (847) 394-8500.Streamwood: Vigil begins at 8 p.m. at the Streamwood Veteran's Memorial, 301 E. Irving Park Road; POW/MIA candlelight vigil and 24-hour vigil guard. streamwood.org.SundayStreamwood: Memorial Day service at the Streamwood Veteran's Memorial, 301 E. Irving Park Road. Ceremony 11 a.m. honoring all those who have served. streamwood.org.MondayArlington Heights: Parade starts at Arlington Heights Road and Sigwalt Street and ends at Memorial Park, Arlington Heights. 9:30 a.m. (847) 253-5960.Barrington: Parade and services begin at Cook, Park and Station streets at 10:30 a.m. Parade will lead participants to Evergreen Cemetery for a short ceremony. (847) 842-9139.Bartlett: Memorial Day Walk, 10 a.m. at Bartlett Park, Oak and North avenues, starting with American Legion flag retirement ceremony. Veterans, Scouts, civic groups and municipal officials line up for the 11 a.m. walk to Bartlett Cemetery for a brief program honoring Bartlett's local heroes. To participate, call Paula Schumacher, (630) 837-0800.Buffalo Grove: 11 a.m. at Knopf Cemetery, Arlington Heights Road, one-half mile north of Lake-Cook Road. Sponsored by Kingswood United Methodist Church and the Knopf Cemetery Association.Des Plaines: 11 a.m. at Lake Park on Lee Street, between Howard Street and Touhy Avenue. Music by the Maine West Marching Band, a wreath presentation and a memorial service in the Lake Park Memorial Pavilion. A wreath laying ceremony will be at 8 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery, 700 N. River Road, and 8:30 a.m. at Ridgewood Cemetery, 9900 Milwaukee Ave. (847) 391-5700.Elk Grove Village: 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the flagpole in front of the Pavilion, 1000 Wellington Ave.Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg: Hoffman Estates Police Department, 1200 Gannon Drive, Hoffman Estates. Starts at 10 a.m. at the Hoffman Estates Veterans' Memorial, Gannon Drive at Golf Road, next to the police department. Observance moves by processional to the cemetery at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 202 E. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg for an observance at 10:50 and concludes with a program inside the church at 11:15 a.m.Hanover Park: 10 a.m. ceremony at Memorial Park, Arlington Drive and Freedom Way. hanoverparkillinois.org.Mount Prospect: Parade starts at Emerson Street and Busse Avenue at 9:35 a.m. From Emerson and Busse, parade goes south on Emerson to Lincoln to the Veterans' Memorial Band Shell at Lions Park, where a ceremony will be held. Anyone can march; veterans are especially encouraged. (847) 299-3510.Palatine: Parade and ceremony at Cornell Avenue and Smith Street. American Legion Post 690 hosts 10:15 a.m. parade featuring youth groups, community leaders, the Fremd High School marching band, floats and the American Legion color guard and rifle squad. Route will be north on Smith Street, east on Robertson Street, south on Brockway Street and then east on Wood Street to the veterans memorial in Community Park for a ceremony. (847) 359-1606 or amlegion-palatinepost690.org.Wheeling: 10 a.m. parade starts at Weiland and Route 83 and ends at AMVETS Post 66, near Lexington and Route 83. Sponsored by AMVETS Post 66. (847) 537-0440.Sunday June 6Belleau Wood: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 6, Northwest Suburban Detachment of the Marine Corps League ceremony at the memorial at the corner of Rand and Ballard roads in Des Plaines marks the 92nd anniversary of the start of the Marine offensive, which led to the capture of Belleau Wood, saving Paris from German capture. John Colas, (847) 438-8746, or Fred Foy, (847) 577-1337.