4 Ways to Spend Memorial Day Weekend 2025 Around Rochester

Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, 2025. It is a time for families and friends to come together, often through backyard barbecues, picnics, or ceremonial gatherings, to respectfully remember our fallen heroes.

Many people also regard Memorial Day weekend (Friday, May 23–Sunday, May 25, 2025) as the unofficial kickoff to summertime in Rochester. While enjoying the weekend, it’s essential to remember the holiday’s true meaning and acknowledge and remember those who have given their lives in service to our country.

1. Honor Our Fallen Heroes

Although Memorial Day customs may vary, its core purpose remains the same: to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military.

Cover Them Over with Beautiful Flowers: A Soldier’s Memorial – May 24, 2025, 11:00 a.m. Before Memorial Day, there was Decoration Day. Learn how the country began to reconcile the enormous human cost of the American Civil War, pay tribute to the fallen, and discover how Decoration Day evolved into today’s solemn day of remembrance, Memorial Day. Meet your guide, Deb Coffey, at the south entrance on Mt. Hope Ave. across from the Distillery. Get the Details

More Ideas:

• Local cemeteries and veterans’ memorials often hold Memorial Day services, which include speeches, wreath-laying ceremonies, flag-raising ceremonies, and moments of silence to honor and remember fallen soldiers.
• Remember and honor the service and sacrifice of fallen soldiers, family members, or friends who served in the military by visiting their graves and placing flowers, flags, or other tributes on them.
• Memorial Day parades are a customary tradition in several communities. These parades typically include marching bands, veterans’ organizations, military vehicles, and floats. They offer a chance for the community to unite, show appreciation for veterans and active-duty military personnel, and honor the holiday.
• On Memorial Day, at 3 p.m., there is a national moment of remembrance. During this moment, we take one minute to remember soldiers who died while serving in the military. It’s an annual event that asks all Americans to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by these brave soldiers.
• Consider spending Memorial Day in community service or volunteering for organizations that support veterans and their families. You can participate in various activities, such as assisting with cleaning up memorial sites, joining charity runs or walks, or lending a hand at veterans’ centers. These activities allow us to honor the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform and show appreciation to those who have served our country.
• Memorial Day presents a chance to educate the younger generation about the holiday’s significance. Families, schools, and community organizations can arrange activities and discussions to teach children about the sacrifices made by military personnel and the importance of honoring their memory.

Please contact the Veterans Outreach Center for ways that you can provide or recieve assistance.

Spend a Quiet Moment at a War Memorial

The Veterans Memorial at the Rochester Community War Memorial

The Blue Cross Arena’s lower level features a tranquil Veterans Memorial, paying tribute to local armed services and offering the community a space for reflection on the sacrifices of those who came before them. The memorial is open to the public Monday through Friday (except for holidays), from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and during evening and weekend Blue Cross Arena events. If the building is closed, you can peek through the window from the riverside park near Broad Street. Get Directions

Beikirch Park. Before 2012, the area south of Highland Drive was part of Highland Park. However, that year, the Monroe County Parks Department dedicated this area as Beikirch Park to honor Vietnam Veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch. The park features several memorials, including the Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, War on Terror Memorial, AIDS Memorial, Victims’ Rights Memorial, and Workers’ Rights Memorial. Get Directions

It is my hope that as people enter this park and walk among the heroes that are honored and remembered here that they will hear each hero say to them, “There is a different way to live your life. Live your life believing that there is something greater in life than me. Live your life caring for others, loving others. Greater love has no one than this … that you would lay down your life for your friend.”

Gary Beikirch

Livingston County Veterans Monument. Located at the Hampton’s Corners Complex on New York State Route 63, just south of Geneseo, there is a field of 250 metal poppies that sway gracefully in the breeze. Each poppy has been designed and welded by a veteran or a veteran’s family member to honor their brave service to the country. Get Directions

Visit the National Memorial Day Museum

Waterloo, New York, situated one hour east of Rochester, is the first official Memorial Day location. According to the museum’s website, the story of Memorial Day dates back to the summer of 1865. At a social gathering, a prominent local druggist named Henry C. Welles suggested that while praising the living veterans of the Civil War, it would be fitting to remember the patriotic dead by placing flowers on their graves. However, nothing resulted from this suggestion until the following spring when he again mentioned the idea to General John B. Murray, a Civil War hero and intensely patriotic. General Murray wholeheartedly supported the idea and rallied veterans’ support behind it. Learn more at wlhs-ny.com.

Attend a Ceremony or Parade

Be sure to check with your municipality for the dates and times of Memorial Day parades and other activities.

• Rochester, cityofrochester.gov
• Brighton, townofbrighton.org
• Brockport, brockportny.org
• Chili, townofchili.org
• Churchville, churchville.net
• East Rochester, eastrochester.org
• Fairport, village.fairport.ny.us
• Gates, gatesrecparks.org
• Greece, greeceparksrec.recdesk.com
• Henrietta, henriettany.myrec.com
• Hilton, hiltonny.org
• Honeoye Falls, villageofhoneoyefalls.org
• Irondequoit, irondequoit.gov
• Penfield, penfield.org
• Pittsford, townofpittsford.org
• Rush, townofrush.com
• Scottsville, scottsvilleny.org
• Spencerport, ogdenny.com
• Webster, websterny.gov

2. Learn About Our Military History

Fort Ontario State Historic Site

Fort Ontario State Historic Site is a must-visit destination for those passionate about history. The fort boasts a star-shaped structure that dates back to the early 1840s and showcases various renovations between 1863 and 1872. The site contains two guardhouses, a powder magazine, a storehouse, enlisted men’s barracks, an Army office building, unfurnished officer’s quarters, videos, exhibits, ramparts providing breathtaking views of Lake Ontario, and underground stone casemates and galleries that are open for tours.

Fort Ontario has played a significant role in American history. It has witnessed several major events, including three battles during the French and Indian War and two conflicts during the War of 1812. The fort remained occupied by the U.S. Army throughout World War II. However, from 1944 to 1946, it took on a unique role as the only refugee camp in the U.S. for predominantly Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

Fort Ontario was handed over to the State of New York in 1946 and was utilized as a housing facility for World War II veterans and their families until 1953. In 1949, it was officially established as a state historic site to safeguard its storied past and highlight its multifaceted roles throughout various historical periods.

Old Fort Niagara

Old Fort Niagara provides a captivating opportunity to revisit the era when mighty empires fought for control over North America. You can delve into real 18th-century buildings and admire breathtaking views while participating in interactive programs that make history come alive. The Fort’s Visitor Center has introductory displays exhibiting original artifacts and an award-winning 16-minute orientation film emphasizing the site’s significance.

Discover the fort and its original buildings, constructed between the 18th and 20th centuries, where Native American, French, British, and American soldiers lived and worked. In the summer season, visitors can witness musket and artillery firing demonstrations, take guided tours, and see artisan showcases that provide insights into life on the Niagara Frontier during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Special events feature reenactors who recreate the lives of past Fort garrisons and portray the struggles that shaped the birth of the United States and Canada.

Fort Stanwix

A trail connected the Mohawk River and Wood Creek for thousands of years. This trail, known as the Oneida Carrying Place, was a crucial link between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Ontario. Before the arrival of the Europeans, this passageway marked a critical period in American history, as different nations competed for control over the Mohawk Valley, the homelands of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the valuable resources of North America. During this intense struggle, Fort Stanwix played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the dispute.

3. Learn About Our Transportation Heritage

Embark on a leisurely sightseeing boat, train, or hot air balloon expedition.

Explore the Erie Canal and Genesee River

Now that the Erie Canal has opened for the 2025 season, it’s the perfect time to explore Rochester’s waterways on board the Colonial Belle in Fairport, the Sam Patch in Pittsford, and the Riverie in Corn Hill. Each boat offers a unique experience of locking through Locks 32 or 33.

Take a Trolley or Train Ride

Celebrate the “Season Opening” on Sunday, May 25, at the New York Museum of Transportation in Rush. Enjoy a unique trolley ride through scenic rural areas and a museum filled with trolley cars, vehicles, model railroads, and the two iconic Midtown Plaza Monorail cars. The Arcade & Attica Railroad in Arcade also begins its season on Memorial Day Weekend.

While not a ride, visit the Edgerton Model Railroad Room during this month’s open house on Saturday, May 24, to experience their four season-themed displays.

4. Enjoy Time Outdoors

Pack a picnic and enjoy time with family and friends exploring our parks. Most gorge trails are open in time for Memorial Day weekend, but please check with them directly before you go.

Do you have a favorite way to spend Memorial Day Weekend around Rochester?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.