While the forecasted weather threatens to drizzle on any weekend plans, Monday is poised to be a perfect day for a BBQ or a day at the pool. See below if you need help planning your weekend!
Memorial Day Parades
This Memorial Day is my first in recent memory that I will be spending away from my home on Long Island, NY. And while to most people, Memorial Day is just like every other weekend with an added day and maybe a family BBQ, it has always been more to me. I come from a family of veterans who are deeply involved in our local American Legion Post 1120. My family has served in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. My uncle has recently deployed to Afghanistan and my mother deployed to Djibouti while I was in high school. We have Army Veterans, Marine Veterans, Navy Veterans, and Air Force Veterans, and I have recently joined their ranks as an Intelligence Officer in the Air National Guard. So on Memorial Day my family has always honored the service of those who came before us and of the fallen. Pictured below is the height of our traditions - the Memorial Day parade! In 2003, I had the honorary title of our American Legion post’s Poppy Girl. The poppy is an honorary symbol of the soldiers who fought and died in American wars, and every year, a child of an American Legion member is chosen to represent our post and our community. I continued to walk alongside my family for our town’s Memorial Day parade as a member of the ladies auxiliary until a few years ago. So if you are like me and associate Memorial Day with parades, tune in to watch the National Memorial Day Parade, streaming on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW all weekend.
- Emma
My family! Adults pictured from left to right are my grandfather (Vietnam Veteran), my father (son of Vietnam Veteran and grandson of WW2 Veteran), my grandmother (head of American Legion Auxiliary, and my mother (current member of the Air National Guard). Children at the bottom are my sister and me!
There are also a variety of other Memorial Day ceremonies, including the Women’s Memorial 24th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday at 4pm and all weekend at Arlington National Cemetery.
Crowd-pleasing recipes
If you have finally got the gang back together for a party this weekend and want to cook something everyone will enjoy, here are a few recommendations from our team:
Orzo Salad from the Food Network
Flag Pizza from Allrecipes, very kid friendly
Red, White, and Blue Strawberry Shortcake from Kroger
DC pools
This weekend is opening weekend for the DC outdoor pools and spray parks! Starting Saturday, outdoor pools are open weekends from 10am to 6pm. They are also open Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day. Spray parks are open everyday from 10am to 8pm. If you want to escape the heat completely, there are also indoor pools in each ward.
Click here to find out more information about the pools near you
*Pool use will prioritize DC residents with valid ID and pre-registration
Best thing on the internet this week
In a throwback to an older blog post, cicada plushies are now available for purchase!