Memorial Day events run Saturday through Monday in Aiken County (2024)

Signs of Memorial Day have popped up around Aiken County over the past couple of weeks, and several events are on tap over the next few days in connection with the holiday.

One of the biggest gatherings, orchestrated by Aiken County Veterans Council, is usually Aiken's parade, which is to be Saturday starting at 10 a.m., running along Park Avenue and Laurens Street. This year's grand marshal is Savannah River Site retiree Ed Knight, who served in both the Navy and the Coast Guard. The first lady is Shirley Mozell, an Army veteran who served for 20 years at Fort Gordon.

Warrenville will have a gathering simultaneous with Aiken's parade. A ceremony will be held at Horse Creek-Midland Valley Veterans Park, at 3187 Augusta Road, with American Legion Post 153 helping dedicate a monument in memory of longtime Burnettown Mayor Hector Rodriguez, an Army veteran originally from Puerto Rico.

AmericanLegion Post 212 also has plans for Saturday. The group will have representatives in Pine Lawn Cemetery, at Hampton Avenue and Florence Street, placing U.S. flags on veterans' graves. Volunteers are welcome.

Another Saturday gathering is to take place in downtown Aiken immediately after the parade and running until 2:30 p.m., with a resource fair being offered in Newberry Street's festival area, to help veterans and their families connect with various organizations offering products and services.

TheAugusta GreenJackets, based in North Augusta at SRP Park, have plans for fireworks Sunday evening following the game against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, from North Carolina. Game time is 6:05 p.m. and fireworks are usually launched as soon as the game is over and darkness is sufficient.

The actual holiday is Monday, and at least two local Memorial Day ceremonies are set for 11 a.m. One is to be in North Augusta, at Wade Hampton Veterans Park, at 200 Georgia Ave. American Legion Post 71 is the host organization.The other is to be inAiken County Veterans Memorial Park, at 1435 Richland Ave., as a project ofAiken County Veterans Council.

Veterans of Foreign WarsPost 5877, at 116 Midway Circle, south of Aiken, will have a ceremony at 2 p.m. Monday, and VFW Post 6304, in Wagener, will have members spreading throughout the community over the course of several days to place U.S. flags on veterans' graves.

The holiday, according to Wounded Warrior Project, dates back more than 150 years. "Americans began to recognize Memorial Day in 1868, and the country established it as a federal holiday in 1971. Originally known as 'Decoration Day,' the holiday started with communities coming together to decorate the graves of those who died during service," the report notes.