Cape Cod hosts a half-dozen Memorial Day events this weekend honoring veterans’ service plus two free concerts of patriotic music.
Here are some events you can join:
Massachusetts National Cemetery hosts Operation Flags for Vets, which will see 77,000 U.S. flags placed on veterans’ graves from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23. Volunteers will begin placing flags at 11 a.m. following a 10 a.m. ceremony at the cemetery on Connery Avenue in Bourne. Volunteers will remove and store flags from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 30. Open to the public.
Flags decorate every grave at the National Cemetery in Bourne after a large group turned out to place a flag on each of the headstones in observance of Veteran’s Day.
Photo taken on November 8, 2025
The non-profit organization Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops will be hosting the 22nd annual Troops in the Spotlight, the largest Memorial Day Weekend event in New England.
Cape Cod Cares for the Troops founder Dylan DeSilva, right, listens to Kevin Matthews, a radio host for WCOD, who emceed the opening ceremony in 2024. DeSilva said the first Troops in the Spotlight raised $1,000. In its 20th year, the event has raised more than $441,000.
Lasting from 11:30 a.m. on May 24 through noon on May 25, the 24-hour event will include a barbecue lunch, a donation drive, a kid’s tent, live music, a military vehicle display, raffles, a banner to sign for the troops and multiple ceremonies honoring veterans. Troops in the Spotlight will take place behind the Cape Cod Mall; enter from Route 28 in Hyannis, according to the group’s Facebook page.
Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops was started by 12-year-old Dylan DeSilva in 2005. Since then, the group has honored veterans in many ways, including sending 50,000 care packages.
Cape Cod Concert Band’s ‘American Tapestry’
The Cape Cod Concert Band will present “American Tapestry,” a free performance of patriotic music. The concert is at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center at Barnstable High School, 744 West Main St., Hyannis. Although the concert and parking are free, the Cape Cod Concert Band welcomes donations to help fund future performances.
Members of the Cape Cod Concert Band rehearse with Sean Hagon, in this 2018 file photo, at the Barnstable Municipal Airport. The band is presenting “American Tapestry,” a free concert of patriotic music.
Conductor Tom Borning will present “selections ranging from the work of the legendary jazz composer, Duke Ellington, to the work of the contemporary Latina composer, Michele Fernández,” according to a community announcement. For more about the program, visit capecodconcertband.org/. http://www.capecodconcertband.org/
Grammy-nominated Skylark in Falmouth
Skylark vocal ensemble performed an adaptation of the “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens.
Six-time Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Skylark will perform a Memorial Day concert of their “Clear Voices in the Dark” in Falmouth. The program features wartime choral music centered around Francis Poulenc’s “Figure Humaine,” a choral work composed during the occupation of France during World War II. The performance is at 3 p.m. Monday, May 25, at Lawrence School Memorial Auditorium, 113 Lakeview Ave., Falmouth. The concert is free but reservations are required and may be made through Skylark’s “Clear Voices” page at skylarkensemble.org/.
Various Cape Cod towns are planning Memorial Day observances:
Barnstable
Barnstable will hold a 9 a.m. gathering Monday, May 25 at the John F. Kennedy Memorial and Korean War Memorial at Veterans Beach Park, 480 Ocean St., Hyannis. A wreath will be laid and attendees will be invited to say the name of a loved one who has died in service to our country.
“The ‘Say Their Names’ movement is a powerful Memorial Day initiative to honor fallen service members. The goal is to ensure they are never forgotten by reading their names aloud, sharing their stories, and expressing deep gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice,” according to a community notice about the event.
The JFK Hyannis Museum, located at 397 Main St., Hyannis, will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Memorial Day with information about President John F. Kennedy and his family, many of whom lived in Hyannisport.
Orleans
The Orleans annual Memorial Day ceremony starts at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25, with a waterfront service at Town Cove near the Orleans Yacht Club, followed by a procession to the Village Green. The procession includes members of American Legion Post 308, local police/fire honor guards, and musical performances.
Falmouth
Falmouth’s 2026 Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony starts at 9:45 a.m. Monday, May 25, at the Falmouth Public Library’s Memorial Walkway, 300 Main St. The event is in collaboration with the Falmouth Veterans’ Council.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Falmouth Community Veterans Center at 300 Dillingham Ave. will host a reception to honor veterans and observe the center’s second anniversary.
Yarmouth
The Town of Yarmouth invites everyone to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation. Yarmouth will hold its annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony starting at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, in front of Yarmouth Town Hall, 146 Route 28, South Yarmouth.
Centerville
The 2026 Centerville Memorial Day Parade and Observance is scheduled for Monday, May 25, beginning at 10 a.m.. The parade starts at South Congregational Church, at 565 Main St., featuring police, Scouts, veterans and reenactors, followed by a ceremony at Memorial Park at the junction of Main Street and Park Avenue. There will be a wreath laid for each war, from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam.
Dennis
At 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, there are ceremonies at Liberty Field, 485 Main St. in South Dennis (adjacent to the Old South Dennis Cemetery) and at the Dennis Village Green, a site maintained by the Village Improvement Society, which is known for its bandstand and summer concerts.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Memorial Day events honor veterans
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