Fox Valley Memorial Day observances

Carpentersville

• "Healing Field: A Welcome Home Tribute to Our Vietnam Veterans" will feature U.S. flags honoring veterans on display through Monday, May 31, at Carpenter Park, off Lord Avenue and Maple Street, Carpentersville. The Healing Field opens at 9 a.m. each day. Music tributes by Community Unit District 300 students will be held at noon and 6 p.m. Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, May 30; and noon Monday, May 31. On Sunday, May 30, there will be a church service at 10 a.m. A parade will step off at 5 p.m. with the U.S. Air Force flyover at 5:30 p.m. A closing ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, May 31. The Patriot Committee of Dundee Township is organizing a healing field that will honor the 1,748 veterans determined missing in action or prisoners of war. The Healing Field Foundation was founded in 2002 as a way to commemorate the thousands of lives lost during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Since then, hundreds of communities across the country have hosted a Healing Field or a Field of Honor to raise money and awareness for causes from child abuse to cancer. Proceeds from the flag sales will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township. For details, call Jerry Christopherson at (630) 730-0558.

Cary

• The Cary Memorial Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, First Street and Three Oaks Road. The lineup begins at 9 a.m. The parade will head south on First Street and end at the Cary Veterans Park. For details, call Commander Al Young at (847) 639-7684.

Crystal Lake

• The Crystal Lake Memorial Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. Monday, May 31, at Crystal Lake Central High School, 45 W. Franklin Ave. It will then proceed east on Franklin Avenue, north on William Street, west on Woodstock Street to Union Cemetery where memorial service will be held. Visit crystallake.org.

Dundee Township

• The Dundee Township Memorial Day Parade will step off at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at Immanuel Lutheran School, 310 E. Main St. in East Dundee. The parade, sponsored by the Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post will continue west on Main Street and end in Grafelman Park in West Dundee. There will be a presentation at the gazebo in Grafelman Park immediately following the parade. Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for approximately 30-45 minutes during the parade. Traffic will be rerouted to the Main Street Bridge in Carpentersville (Huntley Road). For details, call Kenneth and Roberta Andresen at (847) 551-1981.

Elgin

• The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, in cooperation with the city of Elgin, invites the community to join them in commemorating Memorial Day. The day will start at 8:45 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St. There will be a Catholic Mass along with a combined color guard, rifle salute and playing of Taps. At 9:15 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 20, a service to honor those buried at the cemetery will be held at the Garden of Honor. It will include a combined color guard, rifle salute and the playing of Taps.

At 9:45 a.m., the Elgin Navy Club and the Marine Corps League will present a program, honoring those who lost their lives at sea. The service will be at Veterans Memorial Park, which is adjacent to Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. The service, also featuring the Elgin Choral Union, ends with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River, a rifle salute and Taps. Use the eastbound Kimball Street from Route 31 to reach the park, due to street closings related to the Fox Trot.

At 11 a.m. at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd., the program will pay tribute to those who served in the Korean War on the conflict's 60th anniversary with an address by veteran Don Sleeman. Also featured will be the marching band from the Northwest Baptist Bible Academy and the Men's Ensemble from Providence Baptist College.

Local students will continue the long-held tradition of reading Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and General John Logan's Order, which was established Memorial Day. The most solemn moment of the morning will be the laying of organizational wreaths at the Grand Army of the Republic memorial. Activities will conclude with the roll call of deceased veterans, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. New this year is a free shuttle bus pickup at the main gate and east gate at Bluff City Cemetery.

For details, visit elginmemorialday.org.

• The 33rd annual Elgin Valley Fox Trot will start at 8 a.m. Monday, May 31 at city hall, 150 Dexter Court. The 5K run starts at 8:05 a.m. Cost on race day is $40. The courses run through historic neighborhoods and scenic hills and ravines of Trout Park and Lords Park. There also will be a 2-mile Fun Walk at 8:10 a.m. for $10 per person or $30 per family (maximum four members). No fee for children 6 and younger. All proceeds will benefit the Elgin Parks and Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund. Visit cityofelgin.org/foxtrot. The Elgin Kiwanis "Bottomless Pancake Breakfast" continues its post-race tradition from 8 to 11 a.m. in the lower level of the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way. Tickets are $5.

Fox River Grove

• Fox River Grove Memorial Day Parade steps off at 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 31 at Algonquin Road School, 975 Algonquin Road, Fox River Grove. It will continue down Algonquin Road to South River Road. The parade, hosted by the American Legion Frank H. Nagel Jr. Post 119, ends at Lions Park with a ceremony and 21-gun salute to honor fallen soldiers. For details, call Commander Marv Jedicker at (847) 639-3459.

Hampshire

• The Hampshire Memorial Day Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 31 at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St., Hampshire. It then proceeds to Ralph Seyller East park where services will be held. Hampshire High School Band will take part in the ceremonies. For details, call (847) 683-0904.

Huntley

• Huntley Memorial Day Parade will step off at 11 a.m. Monday, May 31 from Municipal Complex, 10987 Main St. It will proceed to the American Legion Post 673, Coral and Woodstock streets, Huntley. There will be a Memorial Day service after the parade at the American Legion Post. For details, call (847) 669-8485.

South Elgin

• South Elgin's annual Memorial Day Service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31 at Panton Mill Park, off North Water Street in South Elgin. Visit southelgin.com.

West Dundee

• A Memorial Day service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 31 at River Valley Memorial Gardens, Route 31, West Dundee. The public is invited. The spiritual address will be given by the Rev. Steven Mindrup of the First United Methodist Church of West Dundee. The Tri-Cities VFW Post 2298 and Auxiliary will participate in this half-hour service honoring over 944 veterans buried at River Valley memorial Gardens. Soloist will be Kathy Clifford-Grazinskas. The Dundee-Crown High School trumpeters will participate with the national anthem and Taps.