Long Island's 2026 Memorial Day Parades: Times and Towns

Seven Long Island communities step off with Memorial Day parades this Sunday and Monday, from a Five Towns Nassau march at 10 a.m. Sunday to a century-old procession in Great Neck drawing marching bands from across the county at 9:30 Monday morning.

Memorial Day parades are a Long Island institution older than most of the suburbs themselves. Northport's march down Main Street has been running continuously for 160 years. Great Neck celebrates its centennial parade this year. The Bay Shore march threads through the downtown corridor that feeds directly to the Great South Bay ferry terminal, pulling South Shore crowds on the holiday morning.

Here are six parades stepping off this weekend:

1. Cedarhurst-Lawrence Villages Parade
Central Avenue and Cedarhurst Avenue, Five Towns, Nassau County
Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m.
Described as the largest Memorial Day parade in the Five Towns, the Cedarhurst-Lawrence march steps off a day early, on Sunday morning. The procession moves through the commercial heart of the Five Towns area — Cedarhurst, Lawrence and their neighbors — drawing strong turnout from across this Nassau south shore cluster. Street parking is available on side streets off Central Avenue.

2. Bay Shore Memorial Day Parade
Downtown Bay Shore, Town of Islip
Monday, May 25, 11 a.m.
Bay Shore's parade moves through the main commercial strip toward the waterfront, honoring the town's fallen veterans on a route that has run for decades. Bay Shore is a natural South Shore hub: the LIRR stops there, and the Fire Island ferry terminal on Clinton Avenue is a few blocks from the parade route. The Main Street municipal lot and Maple Avenue offer parking.

3. Long Beach Memorial Day Parade
Ohio Avenue and West Beech Street to City Hall, City of Long Beach
Monday, May 25, 10 a.m.
The Long Beach parade steps off at Ohio Avenue and West Beech Street, marching to City Hall via New York Avenue and Park Avenue. Long Beach is walkable from the LIRR Long Beach terminus, making this one of the more accessible marches for car-free visitors. The boardwalk opens for its full season Memorial Day weekend.

4. Northport Memorial Day Parade
Main Street to Northport Village Park
Monday, May 25, 10 a.m.
Northport holds one of the longest continuously running Memorial Day parades in New York, now in its 160th year. The march descends the village's main street to the park at the harbor's edge, where a remembrance ceremony follows. Parking lots off Woodbine Avenue fill by 9:30 a.m. on parade day.

5. Great Neck 100th Annual Memorial Day Parade
Great Neck Village, Nassau County
Monday, May 25, 9:30 a.m.
Great Neck's parade reaches its centennial in 2026, one of the more historically significant milestones on the island's parade calendar this year. The procession includes marching bands and floats, concluding at the Village Green with a formal remembrance service. Great Neck is accessible from the LIRR Port Washington branch.

6. Copiague Fire Department Parade
Copiague, Town of Babylon
Monday, May 25
The Copiague Fire Department holds its annual Memorial Day parade on the holiday, one of several South Shore fire department marches that have become community institutions in the Town of Babylon. Exact step-off time was not confirmed at press time; check the Town of Babylon website at townofbabylonny.gov for updates.

The Plainview Memorial Day Parade also steps off Monday on Old Country Road, running from 9:30 a.m. to noon, adding another inland Nassau option. Most marches last 45 to 90 minutes and end with a short remembrance ceremony at a village green, war memorial or town center.

For families building the weekend around outdoor plans, the forecast matters. Meteorologists at News 12 Long Island are tracking rain arriving Saturday morning and lasting through much of Sunday. Memorial Day itself looks far better: mostly cloudy with periods of clearing, highs near 73 degrees, and a few passing showers possible but no significant rain. Morning parade timing puts most marches in the improved part of the forecast.

The American Airpower Museum at 1230 New Highway in Farmingdale runs its Legends of Airpower World War II Warbird display Saturday and Sunday starting at noon — an all-weather option for families who want more than a march but are not ready to head home by noon. Old Bethpage Restoration Village at 1303 Round Swamp Road holds living history events Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Bay Shore, Long Beach and Northport coordinate with municipal officials on their local parades. Most welcome participation from veterans' organizations and civic groups. Contact your local VFW post in the days before the holiday to inquire about marching.