Observed annually on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors members of the United States military who died in the line of service. It has also come to signify the start of summer, with pools, amusement parks and other seasonal establishments opening their doors. This long weekend, municipalities around Greater Lansing will celebrate both aspects of the holiday with family-friendly fun and more somber ceremonies in remembrance of those who gave their lives for our country.
Laingsburg
The Laingsburg Lions Club will hold its annual Springtime Festival Thursday (May 23) through Monday (May 27) in downtown Laingsburg. The fun begins with a carnival, featuring rides, games and food like elephant ears and corn dogs, from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday. The carnival will also be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday (May 24), noon to 11 p.m. Saturday (May 25), 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday (May 26) and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday. Ride tickets are $25 on Thursday and Monday and $30 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The festival’s largest-ever arts and crafts show, offering around 45 booths, will run from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Memorial Park.
The king, queen and marshal of the annual parade will be introduced at 6:15 p.m. Friday at the McClintock Park amphitheater. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Woodbury and Grand River roads near the First Baptist Church and will end at the intersection of Grand River and Woodhull roads.
American Legion Post 248 will hold a free breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday at its building on Grand River Road and a memorial service at 11 a.m. Monday at the Laingsburg Cemetery.
The Lions Club will also sell raffle tickets throughout the weekend, with a drawing at 3 p.m. Monday at the McClintock Park amphitheater. Tickets are $10 each or three for $20, and prizes include a custom golf cart, a grill, a $500 grocery shopping spree, an electric bike, an Xbox Series X and various cash awards.
Dansville
Dansville has four days of entertainment planned for its annual Memorial Freedom Festival. The events will kick off with DJ karaoke from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday (May 24) at the Wooden Nickel II’s outdoor beer tent.
Saturday (May 25) will begin with an afternoon of kids’ activities, including inflatables, magic, food vendors, a bicycle parade with a patriotic outfit contest and more, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of M-36 and Jackson Street. The day will continue with entertainment at the Nickel Tent, including a cornhole tournament at 2 p.m. and performances by variety cover musician Bill Moran from noon to 4 p.m. and classic-rock and country cover band Mama Tryd from 7 to 11 p.m.
Sunday (May 27) will feature a free breakfast for veterans from 8 a.m. to noon at the Wooden Nickel II and a screening of the animated Disney film “Encanto” at 9 p.m. at the Dansville High School practice field.
The festival will wrap up on Monday (May 27), starting with a kids’ race around the Dansville High School track at 8:10 a.m. and adult 5 and 8K run/walks at 8:30 a.m., also beginning at the school. Registration for the kids’ race is $18, and registration for the adult races is $34 at runsignup.com/Race/MI/Dansville/BIGFOOTCHALLENGE. The Memorial Day parade will begin at noon at Dansville Elementary School. Complimentary snow cones and cotton candy will be available during the parade at Dansville Free Methodist Church, along with a bake sale and a quilt raffle. Following the parade, there will be a memorial ceremony at Fairview Cemetery and live music and food vendors at the Nickel Tent.
East Lansing
At 11 a.m. today (May 22) at the Hannah Community Center’s Medal of Honor Memorial and Veterans Monument, the city of East Lansing and Lansing’s Charlie Company Marine Corps battalion will lay a wreath in honor of fallen service members. Scott E. House, brigadier general of the Michigan National Guard and East Lansing’s director of public works, will give remarks.
Mason
Mason’s Memorial Day celebration will include a reading of the names of fallen Ingham County service members listed on the Honor Roll memorial outside the Ingham County Courthouse at 8 a.m. Monday (May 27), followed by a parade beginning at 9 a.m. at Bond Park and concluding at Maple Grove Cemetery with a remembrance ceremony for prisoners of war and members of the military who are missing in action.
Other parades and services
The city of Lansing will hold a memorial service for fallen firefighters at 11 a.m. Saturday (May 25) at Mount Hope Cemetery and a military memorial service at noon Saturday in the Little Arlington section of Evergreen Cemetery.
Meridian Township’s memorial service, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (May 27) at the Glendale Cemetery, will be accompanied by the Meridian Community Band and a color guard led by local Boy Scout troops. There will be a special presentation by Navy veteran Joy Rimpau.
Haslett’s American Legion Post 269 will hold a memorial service at 11 a.m. Monday (May 27) at Ralya Elementary School, followed by a cookout.
A handful of parades will also kick off at 11 a.m. Monday (May 27). Dimondale’s parade will begin at Carl’s Supermarket and will travel through the downtown area to Dimondale Cemetery for a brief memorial service. Charlotte’s parade will begin at Courthouse Square and will continue through the downtown area, ending back at Courthouse Square, where the commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2406 will lead a memorial program. Grand Ledge’s parade will start
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