Doylestown Memorial Day Parade To Salute The Fallen With Spirited Reverence

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — For the 158th year, Doylestown will again gather on Monday to salute the nation's fallen as one of the oldest Memorial Day Parades in the nation steps off with a spirited reverence.

Reaching back over a century and a half, the first parade was held in 1868, the year “Decoration Day,” later called Memorial Day, was first observed in the United States and just 30 years after Doylestown’s incorporation as a borough.

It is one of the oldest Memorial Day Parades in the nation, according to the Borough of Doylestown, which today organizes the patriotic march through town in honor of those American Veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation and its democratic ideals.

It’s amazing if you think about it. The first parade in town, which consisted of a small group of citizens parading from the monument to the cemetery to decorate the graves of the nation’s fallen soldiers, took place when Andrew Johnson was President of the United States, horses were the main source of transportation and dirt roads connected towns together.

The Doylestown Historical Society will again be showcasing Doyle's Tavern, 1745, in this year's parade. Doyle's Tavern stood on the site of the present-day Starbucks building. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The public is invited to attend ceremonies following the parade at the Doylestown Cemetery. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Through the years, that small observance has grown into today’s Memorial Day Parade involving 1,700 participants, more than 100 separate units, eight school bands, and an estimated 15,000 spectators who watch the parade from windows, front yards, sidewalks and curbs.

Parade Route And Start Times

Monday's observance begins with a flag raising ceremony at War Memorial Field. Following the flag raising, the parade will step off at 10 a.m., marching east on West Court Street, then east on West State Street, north on Main Street, and finally east on East Court Street to the Doylestown Cemetery, where it culminates with a 30-minute memorial service, during which the United Veterans of Doylestown place wreaths to honor the community’s fallen heroes.

U.S. Navy Veteran Chris Suessenguth, who served the nation in the U.S. Armed Forces from 1977 to 1984, has served as Doylestown’s parade marshal since 2016.

“The reason why we do this is to remember the veterans who have passed away defending our country,” said Suessenguth. “We’re honoring people who died who gave us our freedom. I try to relate that to people who are at the parade because that’s important.”

The parade itself is well attended, adds Suessenguth, noting that it’s usually two to three rows deep with people “as you go through the whole parade route. People are waving and cheering. You see friends and neighbors. And everyone is there to remember the veterans and the sacrifices they made. It’s a great Doylestown tradition.”

The Borough of Doylestown took over the organization of the parade a number of years ago to ensure the tradition would continue. Today, the borough works hand-in-hand with the United Veterans of Doylestown to keep the tradition alive.

Free parking is available for parade attendees in the Bucks County parking garage at Broad, Doyle, and Union Streets from 9 am until 1 hour after the parade's conclusion.

Special Viewing Area For Veterans

VFW Post 175 and Doylestown Borough are again offering a special viewing area for veterans located a East Court and Broad streets. The area offers covered seating for wheelchair users, bleachers for veterans and their families, refreshments, portable bathrooms and more.

Parking spaces are also available for veterans with mobility limitations and/or physical disabilities. Email chernandez@doylestownborough.net for parking pass information.