Memorial Day 2023: Parade Details For Wayne, Other Passaic Co. Communities

WAYNE, NJ — The upcoming Memorial Day parade in Wayne is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

For township residents, the parade Monday is the main focus of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend, which is May 27-29 this year. Other communities in Passaic County are also holding parades and memorials during the weekend.

The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Monday, beginning at the Ramapo Shopping Plaza the corner of Valley Road and Hamburg Turnpike. It ends at Wayne Valley Municipal Building.

Residents are encouraged to line Valley Road to celebrate and honor military veterans. And, those interested in participating may contact the Parks and Recreation Office by email at recreation@waynetownship.com or by phone 973-694-1800 x 3260.

The local American Legion will participate in the parade, and host a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park when the procession ends.

The park is on Mountainview Boulevard, near the home of Anthony Wayne American Legion Post 174.

After the ceremony at the park, there will be a buffet lunch in the Post Hall (55 Mountainview Blvd.), courtesy of the Wayne Veterans Alliance.

Below are some other Memorial Day parades and ceremonies in Passaic County, and any information listed online as of Thursday, May 18:

Little Falls Parade

• Hosted by the Township of Little Falls and American Legion Singac Post 108
• Saturday, May 27 at 10 a.m.
• Followed by a special memorial ceremony at Memorial Park on Wilmore Road
• Any organization, club, classic car owner, or local business interested in participating in the parade may email Chris Vancheri at cvancheri@lfnj.com.

Hawthorne Parade

• Monday, May 29 at 1 p.m.

Parsippany Parade

• Monday, May 29 at noon

Prospect Park Ceremony

• Friday, May 26 at 7 p.m.
• In front of Prospect Park School No. 1

West Milford Parade

• Monday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
• Music begins at 10 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park with the ceremony and parade to follow

Memorial Day Weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer in Wayne. The James W. Roe Memorial Pool has its opening day on Saturday, May 27 and memberships are available online. The pool will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Many local families also visit cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members on Memorial Day, regardless of whether they served in the military. The Northern New Jersey Veteran Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta will have a ceremony on Saturday at 11 a.m. for the veterans buried there. Click here for more details, and parking information.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com.

Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.

This story contains reporting from Patch's national desk.