Arlington Heights Memorial Day parade and in-person ceremony canceled again
For the second year in a row, the Arlington Heights Memorial Day parade and ceremony - perhaps the largest remembrance events of their kind in the suburbs - have been canceled because of COVID-19, organizers announced Wednesday.
The decision by the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights follows a similar announcement two weeks ago by the nonprofit group that runs Frontier Days to postpone their popular July festival that's also among the largest in the region.
Greg Padovani, chairman of the veterans committee, said even with vaccinations proceeding, the area will still likely be in Phase 4B of the state's reopening plan by Memorial Day on May 31.
Those restrictions limit outdoor events to 30 people per 1,000 square feet. So even if event organizers were to close the streets around Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, the likely attendance at the annual ceremony would be far beyond those limits, Padovani said.
Most importantly, Padovani added, it's expected that not everyone will be vaccinated by that time, including children ages 16 and younger.
The annual parade down village streets regularly attracts about 100 marching units of more than 3,000 people, with another 10,000 spectators watching along the route. It commemorated its centennial in 2019.
Like last year, the committee plans to prerecord a ceremony at village hall in lieu of the traditional outdoor ceremony. It will be available to watch online and on the village's cable channel in mid-to-late May.
The committee also is distributing "Arlington Remembers" signs that are common at the parade and in storefront windows on Memorial Day. On the other side is a list of the 58 young men from Arlington Heights who died in service to the nation from the Civil War to the war in Afghanistan.
"We will continue our tradition of holding to the true meaning of Memorial Day - honoring and remembering our nation's fallen heroes," Padovani wrote in an email to supporters.