Memorial Day Parade is back

May 25, 2021

It’s official: the town’s annual Memorial Day Parade is back on for this coming Monday.

Veterans Advisory Board Chair Chris Pereira noted that with the state lifting its remaining Covid restrictions on May 29, “all systems are go” for a full event like previous years.

“We’re ready to rock and roll and honor our fallen as a community,” he said.

The ceremony will set off at 9 a.m. at town landing on Gulf Road, stopping for ceremonies on the Padanaram Bridge and 21-gun salute at the Elm Street Cemetery — ending at the World War I memorial at the old police station on Russells Mills Road for the reading of the names of Dartmouth’s fallen

There will be no parking along the parade route, although parking will be available on nearby streets and business lots.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 celebration was canceled and instead limited to a socially distanced ceremony at the Elm Street Cemetery.

This year’s parade will also see a few new additions. 

At a May 24 Select Board meeting, Veterans Service Officer Matthew Brouillette noted that the 25 members of the New Bedford Young Marines unit will participate in the procession, along with other VFW members who haven’t participated in the past.

There will also be seventh and eighth grade musicians to accompany the Dartmouth High marching band.

“Overall, I think a lot of folks are looking forward to getting out there,” he said.