Area Memorial Day Events to Honor Veterans

Memorial Day weekend – the first holiday weekend of summer, as it's called, is a few days away – a time for parades, picnics and perhaps a cottage-opening trip up north.

It's also a more solemn occasion for many families, as befits the name Memorial Day. Graveside visits, flag placements and memories of former service members are part of the late May ritual for millions of Americans.

In Oakland County, Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly will have a 1 p.m. ceremony Sunday.

"We must remember and acknowledge the debt we owe to these men and women. We must never take for granted their contributions and sacrifice," says a statement from Jason Allen of Traverse City, head of Michigan’s Veterans Affairs Directorate.

These community events are scheduled Monday:

• White Lake: Pancake Breakfast at the White Lake Inn, 3955 Ormond Rd., from 8:30-11:30 a.m., followed by noon flag-raising ceremony. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children, benefiting White Lake Citizens League Fireworks Fund.
• Milford: The parade will start at 11 a.m. and go down Main Street. Arrive early for the best parade watching spot and parking.
• Keego Harbor: The parade will start at 10 a.m. at Abbott Middle School and will conclude at Keego Harbor’s City Hall with a ceremony honoring current and former Armed Forces members followed by family program including a picnic in Rose Sortor Park.
• Novi: Parade leaves at 10 a.m. from 10 Mile Road and Karim Boulevard, traveling west on 10 Mile to the Civic Center for a noon service near the Veterans' Memorial Marker in front of the Civic Center. 
• Farmington: Parade starts at 10 a.m., proceeding along Grand River Avenue.
• Northville: VFW Post 4012 presents a 10 a.m. parade starting on Griswold at Northville Downs, proceeding west on Main Street to Hutton, to Dunlap, to south on Center to Cady, west on Cady, stopping at Oakwood Cemetery, then proceeding to First, Fairbrook and ending at noon at the Veterans' Memorial at Rural Hill Cemetery.