Participants are invited to sign up to participate in West Hartford’s 2026 Memorial Day Parade, to be led by Grand Marshal Conor Tracy.

Submitted

The Town of West Hartford and the American Legion Post 96 are pleased to announce Conor Tracy as the Grand Marshal for the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026.

West Hartford takes great pride in hosting its Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, which is held annually on the federal holiday, the last Monday of May. It follows a tradition established by returning World War I veterans from West Hartford in the 1920s. All veterans are welcome to march in the parade.

The deadline to sign up for the parade is Friday, May 15. Please complete the sign-up form here.

The Memorial Day Parade will commence promptly at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, from the corner of Woodrow Street and Farmington Avenue and end at the Town Hall. It features a military flyover, veterans from all branches of the military, the American Legion Post 96, town officials, Police and Fire color guards, high school and middle school marching bands, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, sports teams, and civic organizations.

America 250

The West Hartford America 250 Task Force is bringing our community’s incredible diversity to life with a one-of-a-kind parade contingent – featuring flags from the 80 countries whose languages are spoken right here in our homes and schools. It will be a powerful, colorful tribute to who we are.

Organizers are looking for at least 40 – and ideally 80 – participants to carry 12-inch by 18-inch country flags in the Memorial Day Parade. No personal connection to a country is needed, but participants are urged to wear the colors of the flag, traditional attire of that country, a West Hartford America 250 shirt (available here), or any spirited, parade-ready outfit.

Two volunteers are also being sought to proudly carry large 3-foot by 5-foot Connecticut and West Hartford flags, with holsters provided for easy carrying.

Ready to represent? Sign up via SignUpGenius and indicate your country of choice in the comments.

If you have questions, email please contact Renée McCue ([email protected]) or Elaine Kotler ([email protected]).

Ceremony

Immediately following the parade each year, a brief Memorial Day ceremony is held at the Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of North Main Street and Farmington Avenue, to give the holiday special meaning.

In the event of rain, the parade will be canceled, and the ceremony will be moved to the Town Hall Auditorium at 50 South Main Street at 11 a.m. A notice will be posted on the town’s website.

Grand Marshal Conor Tracy

Conor M. Tracy was born in Hartford, CT, in 1977 and was raised in West Hartford. He grew up in the Webster Hill neighborhood, attended Sedgwick Middle School, and graduated from Conard High School in 1996.

Tracy attended Colgate University, where he played lacrosse at the collegiate level. He joined the United States Marine Corps Platoon Leader Course early in college and spent two of his college summers attending Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from Colgate in 2000. Following graduation, he attended the Basic School for Officers in Quantico, Virginia, and became an Amphibious Assault Vehicle platoon commander.

After AAV school at Camp Pendleton in 2001, he was stationed at 2d Assault Amphibious Battalion, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In 2003, Tracy deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and served with Task Force Tarawa in Kuwait and Iraq from January to June 2003.

In the Spring of 2004, he was moved to Quantico, Virginia, where he became an instructor of leadership and tactics at The Basic School. He left the Marine Corps in October 2006 as a Captain and returned to West Hartford to attend the University of Connecticut School of Business for his MBA.

Tracy joined United Technologies in 2008, where he has served multiple locations and executive positions. He currently serves as Pratt & Whitney, RTX Vice President, General Manager, Hot Section Module Center, East Hartford, CT

He met his wife, Elizabeth (Brown) Tracy ’97, at Conard, where she played soccer and lacrosse, did gymnastics, and sang in the Solo Choir. Tracy and his wife returned to West Hartford in 2006 and have three children.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.