Honoring fallen warriors and heroes is a very old concept. Athens held public funerals for their fallen soldiers, and Athenian statesman and general Pericles gave one of the first known public tributes to those killed in war—all the way back in 431 B.C. Here in the United States, since 1971, the last Monday of May has been reserved to honor the people who died while serving in the U.S. military.
Many towns and cities host parades or other gatherings to give thanks to those who gave their lives in service of the military, and Fort Collins is no exception. Those looking for an event to attend in Fort Collins this Memorial Day weekend have a number to choose from.
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Cemetery Remembrances
Starting Friday, Boy Scouts from Boy Scout Troop #96 will decorate the graves of more than 3,600 veterans in Grandview and Roselawn cemeteries, and the flags will remain there until Monday evening. Ceremonies honoring fallen military members will take place on Monday, May 30 at each of these cemeteries, as well as the Edora Veterans Memorial.
Events will include guest speakers, raising and lowering of the colors, and placing wreaths at each site.
- Edora Park Veterans Memorial—1420 East Stuart Street. Start Time: 8:45 AM
- Grandview Cemetery—1900 W. Mountain Avenue. Start Time: 10:15 AM
- Roselawn Cemetery—2718 E. Mulberry Street. Start Time: 1:30 PM
KOA Campground Memorial Day Weekend
The KOA Campground at 2718 E. Mulberry Street in Fort Collins is hosting several Memorial Day activities over the weekend. Pottery painting, train rides, and crafts are offered on all four days and Saturday offers the Chopped Pie Iron Challenge at the community fire pit area. All the pie ingredients are provided at the campground and contestants are given an hour to cook their pies.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each end the day with a tasty treat at the Pavillion as well. On Friday, it’s a wine & cheese social, on Saturday, banana splits, and on Sunday, Root Beer Floats. Activities start at 10 am on Friday, Sunday, and Monday, and 9 am on Saturday. At 4 pm on Saturday, there will be a hotdog cookout on the ball field.
Veterans For Peace Memorial Day
On Monday, May 30, from 8 am to 5 pm veterans from several wars will come together in Old Town Square to share their perspectives on war. The veterans who take part in this special Memorial Day observance event are members of the Northern Colorado chapter of Veterans for Peace, and they will give short speeches and share poems and quotes, meant to commemorate the solemn nature of the day.
Live Mashups and Cover Music
This Memorial Day weekend event, featuring In the Groove, will be held at the Old Town Churn. This nostalgic ice cream parlor in the Exchange, located in the northern corner of Old Town Fort Collins, is designed like a 26-foot-tall antique wooden ice cream churn bucket. The live mashups & cover music will take place from 2 to 5 PM on Sunday, May 29th.
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Honor the Fallen
Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado, located at 2626 West Horsetooth Road, honors a different generation of fallen veterans each Memorial Day. This year World War II Veterans will be highlighted. The 200-flag Field of Honor American Flag display will be set up on Friday and on Saturday they will host a screening of the 1962 WWII movie “The Longest Day.”
The biggest events are scheduled for Sunday, including stunt planes, vintage WWII aircraft, and a big band performance. No activities are planned for Monday as it is slated as a day of reflection.
43rd Annual Colorado Run
The 43rd Annual Colorado Run starts at Spring Canyon Park, where the Veterans Plaza weekend celebration is set to take place. There are three options for participants, though all three start and end in the same location.
The least demanding option is the 5k Run/Walk. The 5k course, made up of paved trails and roads that are relatively flat, is suitable for bringing along your canine companion or pushing a stroller, but neither is recommended on the more difficult 10k Run/Walk. If the 10k course isn’t enough of a challenge on its own, you can participate in the 10k Run Ruck, where participants carry a rucksack or backpack that weighs either 10 or 20 pounds.
Tickets to take part in the marathon run from $40-$55 until the 29th, and $50-60 on the day of the race. The 43rd Annual Colorado Run on Memorial Day is part of the Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado, and all proceeds from this event go to that organization.
Photo by Samuel Schneider on Unsplash
Penny Leigh Sebring is a Cohere member, experienced freelance writer, neophyte speculative fiction author, and gatherer of information and imaginary friends.