West Hartford will observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2026, with a parade followed by a Memorial Service, and residents should note that trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day all week.

By Ronni Newton

Parade

The Town of West Hartford’s traditional Memorial Day parade will return for 2026, with West Hartford resident and Conard High School graduate Conor M. Tracy leading the parade as the grand marshal.

The hour-long parade – a tradition which began in West Hartford in the 1920s to welcome returning World War I veterans – will kick off at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026.

Parade units will assemble at 9:30 a.m. in their designated areas west of Woodrow Street, and the parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Woodrow and Farmington Avenue, turn down South Main Street, and end at Town Hall.

The parade is expected to last 45 to 60 minutes, and will include the marching bands from all five public secondary schools, as well as veterans groups, community organizations, the town’s police and fire departments, scouts, and sports teams. Each group marching in the parade will honor at least one veteran, and those names will be announced at the reviewing stand on South Main Street opposite the library.

There is no rain date and in the event of inclement weather, the parade will canceled. A notice will be posted on the town’s website.

Memorial Day ceremony

“Immediately following the parade each year, a brief Memorial Day ceremony is held to give the holiday special meaning,” Renée McCue, parade coordinator and public relations specialist for the Town of West Hartford said in a news release.

The event is held at the Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of North Main Street and Farmington Avenue, beginning at about 11 a.m. If it rains, the ceremony will still be held, but will be inside the Town Hall Auditorium, 50 South Main Street, at 11 a.m.

Conor Tracy will serve as keynote speaker.

If you can’t attend in person

Coverage of the parade and ceremony will also be available for viewing by West Hartford Community Interactive via Comcast channel 5, Frontier channel 6098 and on the WHCi YouTube channel. Click on the links to watch the parade and ceremony – and be sure to subscribe!

Parking and traffic flow

Parking is free all day on Monday, May 25 at all municipal parking sites, including garages.

On-street parking, however, is prohibited beginning at 12:01 a.m. on May 25 until the parade is completed on the following parade route streets:

• Pleasant Street, west side, from Whitman Avenue to Farmington Avenue
• Farmington Avenue, both sides, from Walden Street to Raymond Road
• North and South Main streets, both sides, from Brace Road to Burr Street

Several of the streets surrounding the parade route that provide access to South Main Street and Farmington Avenue will also be closed beginning at 9 a.m. Through traffic is advised to seek alternate routes.

The parking ban is expected to be lifted by 11 a.m., and roads are expected to clear by 1 p.m.

Municipal parking will resume normal operation on Tuesday, May 26 at 6 a.m.

Trash Delay

Trash, recycling, and bulky collections during the week of May 25 through May 39 will be one day late following Monday’s Memorial Day holiday. Monday’s collection will be done on Tuesday and all other collections will also be moved ahead one day.

For more information call All American Waste at 860-289-7850.

Holiday closings

In recognition of the Memorial Day holiday, West Hartford Town Hall will be closed all day. The Yard Waste and Recycling Center, Elmwood Community Center, both senior centers, all library branches, and schools will closed on Monday, May 25, 2026.

Most retail businesses are open on Memorial Day, but it is a federal holiday and banks are closed and there is no U.S. Postal Service mail delivery.

Additional information about West Hartford’s Memorial Day Parade can be found online. Questions about the parade may also be directed to Renée McCue at 860-561-7521, [email protected].

We-Ha.com schedule change

There will not be a newsletter on Monday, May 25, 2026, unless there is critical breaking news. Email newsletter delivery will resume on Wednesday, May 27.

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