Fireworks. Barbeque. Baseball. Memorial Day.
This year, celebrations all across the North Shore will honor America’s veterans and those who have perished in battle with moments of silence, fireworks, parades and the famous acrobatic aerial stunts showcased each year at Jones Beach.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Police Commissioner Thomas Dale will hold a solemn Memorial Day ceremony on the front lawn of police headquarters at 1490 Franklin Avenue in Mineola.
The names of police officers Joseph P. Olivieri and Arthur Lopez will be added to the Honor Roll in the Memorial Garden, which “honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The Police Pipe band and Color Guard will also participate in the ceremony.
The Town of North Hempstead will host its annual Memorial Day Commemoration and Fireworks Extravaganza May 25 at North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington.
“It allows our residents to join together to pay tribute to the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country, while enjoying magnificent fireworks display,” Town of North Hempsrtead Supervisor Jon Kaiman said.
The park is scheduled to open at 3 p.m., and the ceremony will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Vehicles entering the park will be charged a $5 parking fee.
Once the park fills to capacity, buses will shuttle attendees to North Hempstead Beach Park.
The United States Marine Corps Color Guard, Nassau County Pipe Band and Volunteers of America will also participate in the fireworks display.
Local classic rock tribute band Minute By Minute, which covers the music of Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, will perform in addition to Motown soul outfit Mack and Soul.
“This highly anticipated event is attended by tens of thousands of families each year,” Kaiman said.
On May 25 and 26, the annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The Air Show is sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The event, which 400,000 spectators attended last year, is free to the public, though Jones Beach’s $10 parking fee will still be in effect. Fans can also receive a “Rebuilding Long Island Shore to Shore” t-shirt for a minimum $10 donation to the United Way of Long Island to help families affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The newly-reinstated N87 bus out of the Hicksville Long Island Railroad station will run hourly to Jones Beach on both Saturday and Sunday, from 9:20 a.m. until 7:20 p.m.
Air Show regulars Lt. Col. John Klatt of the National Guard reserve, Sean D. Tucker of Team Oracle, aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman, Kirby Chambliss of Team Chambliss, the Red Bull Air Force Skydiver Parachute Team, Chuck Aaron of the Red Bull Helicopter Aerobatics, the Geico Skytypers, the American Airpower Museum Warbirds and daredevil David Windmiller are each set to participate in this year’s event.
Making their Air Show debuts this year are Rob Holland Ultimate Airshows, the Raiders Demonstration Team, the Misty Blues All-Woman Skydiving Team and the Miss Geico Speedboat.
The Royal Canadian Supersonic Air Force F18 Demonstration Team is participating in its second Air Show, after debuting in the event last year.
A free Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach 10th Anniversary app will also be available on iTunes, compatible on iPhone and Android phones.
The app features up-to-the-minute information on parking field availability, full access to listen to the show live with a WHLI announcer, access to listen to live aircraft-to-tower communications from Republic Airport, information on the show’s performers and the ability to take, share and comment on photos with other users and find Jones Beach vendors and other on-site attractions.
Great Neck will hold its 89th Memorial Day Parade Monday at 9:30 a.m., starting at South Middle Neck Road.
The Grand Marshall for the festivities is Eliot Lichtenstein, a member of the Vigilant Fire Department and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
The Mineola Memorial Day Parade will step off from Wilson Park at 11 a.m., moving along Union Street and then west along Jericho Turnpike to Marcellus Road, where it will proceed south to Mineola Memorial Park for ceremonies at approximately 11:30 p.m.
Luso Americano Motorcycle Club will lead the line of march, followed by member of American Legion Post 349, Adolf Block VFW Post 1305 and Catholic War Veterans Post 1949. The Chaminade Marching Band and Chaminade Bagpipe Band will follow, along with members of the Mineola Fire Department and performers from the Mineola Portuguese American Heritage Society;
Local officials, including Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss and state Sen. Jack Martins, who will be speaking at the ceremonies, will also be marching. American Legion Commander Carl Marchese and VFW Commander Tom Scardino are also among the scheduled speakers at the commemoration ceremonies in Memorial Park.
Ceremonies will conclude with former U.S. Marine Steve Solarik playing taps.
Albertson VFW Post 5253 will open its Memorial Day observance with a 9 a.m. commemorative ceremony outside its headquarters at 155 Searingtown Road. A parade with members of the VFW will immediately follow, with the line of march proceeding north on Searington Road, turning east on Evans Avenue to Willis Avenue, then proceeding north on Willis to I.U. Willets Road.
The Williston Park Memorial Day parade is set to step off from the American Legion Post at 11 a.m., moving down Syracuse Street to Broad Street, then to Hillside Avenue and down to Park Avenue and to Center Street, turning onto Willis Avenue. It is expected to arrive at Williston Park Village Hall for ceremonies scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Members of the Herricks High School Marching Band will be in the line of march, along with members of local Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops.
Busa said the line of march will reform after the ceremonies in front of Williston Park Village Hall for a second ceremony at Williston Park Fire Department headquarters south of Hillside Avenue on Willis Avenue for another commemorative ceremony.
Members of the Williston Park American Legion and VFW will then assemble at the East Williston War Memorial on the Village Green there to display colors at approximately 12 p.m.
A parade in East Williston will start at the North Side School at 11:30, proceeding to the East Williston Village Green for the observance at the war memorial.
The annual New Hyde Park Memorial Day Parade is slated to step off from the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Hillside Boulevard, heading east on Jericho to New Hyde Park Village Hall at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.
New Hyde Park G&E Linder Post 8031 Commander Edward Smolenski, grand marshal of the parade, will lead the line of march followed by an American Legion and VFW Color Guard and members of both organizations. Officials from New Hyde Park, the county and the town will follow.
The line of march will halt at New Hyde Park Village Hall for ceremonies at 10:30 a.m., including a reading of the names of the village war dead, a prayer, placing of wreaths and a 21-gun salute, followed by the playing of taps.
The line of march will then reform and proceed to New Hyde Park Memorial Field, where New Hyde Park Mayor Robert Lofaro will preside over the ceremonies and deliver the principal address. Rev. Dan Olson, chaplain of the village fire department, will deliver an invocation and a benediction.
Village Trustee Lawrence Montreuil will read the names of the 15 village residents who died in the Vietnam War.
Smolenski and American Legion Commander John McGuire will place wreaths at the war memorial followed by a rifle salute. The ceremony will conclude with taps played by Mrs. Marilyn Obertis and a performance of the national anthem by Taylor Giallanza and members of the New Hyde Park Memorial band.
Garden City Park VFW Post 120 will hold its Memorial Day Parade and Commemoration on Monday, May 27. A U.S. Marine color guard will lead the parade when it steps off eastbound on Jericho Turnpike from the intersection at Denton Avenue and proceeds to Nassau Boulevard, turning north on Nassau Boulevard and end at the Garden City Park School on Central Avenue at 10 a.m.
Post Commander George Popawitz said a 20-minute commemorative ceremony will follow at the school. He said the line of march will then reform and go to the VFW Post 120 at 2163 Jericho Turnpike, with the event concluding with a collation at the nearby Garden City Park Fire Department headquarters.
In Manhasset, a memorial service at the Community Reformed Church on Plandome Road is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m., which will be led by Pastor Steven D. Pierce.
The American Legion and Boy Scout Troop 97 will place flags on the graves of veterans in local cemeteries and will help decorate the graves at the Long Island National Cemetery in Pinelawn alongside other American Legion posts.
On Memorial Day, the parade will begin promptly at 10 a.m. on Plandome Road at Plandome Court and continue to Memorial Place, and during the parade, the American Legion will place wreaths at the World War I monument and the Gold Star Memorial on Plandome Road.
More than 25 organizations and four bands are scheduled to march in the parade, which will also include 20 Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department trucks.
Following the parade’s conclusion, another memorial service and award ceremony will take place in the Manhasset High School auditorium.
Chaplain James E. Sharkey of Manhasset Post 304 will read the roll call of veterans who’ve died in the last year, accompanied by Manhasset High School band drummer Matthew Chin. Jeffrey Chin and Ryan Fleishman, two other school band members, will render taps.
Brooks will present the School Award to Michael Riscica of Manhasset High School and Matthew Davis of St. Mary’s High School.
The Village of East Hills in Roslyn will open its village pool on Saturday at 10 a.m., and the celebration will continue Monday at 2 p.m. with a performance from local cover band the Jagged Edge.
The Roslyn Rescue Fire Company will hold a memorial service Monday at its 155 Mineola Ave. station in Roslyn Heights at 9 a.m.
The Glenwood Fire Department, which covers areas of Glen Head, Old Brookville, Greenvale and Roslyn Harbor, will hold its Memorial Day parade starting at 9 a.m. on Monday.
The parade will start at the fire department’s headquarters at 72 Grove Street in Glenwood Landing and continue toward the Glenwood School for its memorial service. It will then take a left on Cody Ave. to Glenwood Road and proceed into town to its war memorial by First National Bank and then to its other firehouse at 222 Glen Head Road, where local American Legion officials will read the names of residents who’ve died in wars.
Expected to march are the area’s boy scout troops, its little league, the American Legion, Glenwood firefighters, and other local municipalities.
