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Alexandria will commemorate Memorial Day 2026 with ceremonies and community events honoring U.S. military personnel who died in service.

The observances begin Saturday, May 23, at 9:30 a.m. at Alexandria National Cemetery, 1450 Wilkes Street. During the Flags-in-the-Ground and Flowers on the Graves event, volunteers will place American flags and flowers on all 4,229 veterans’ graves.

VFW Post 609 will lead the effort with scouts, cadets, Daughters of the American Revolution members and local church groups. The flowers will be provided by the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation.

Memorial Day activities at the cemetery will continue in the morning when Travis Manion Foundation members place specially designed wooden commemorative coins on 100 veterans’ graves.

At 11 a.m., American Legion Post 24 will host an official ceremony at the cemetery’s rostrum. The program will include wreath presentations and a gathering for attendees.

A second ceremony will begin at the same time at Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 2701 Commonwealth Ave. Hosted by the Friends of Rocky Versace, the city ceremony will honor 68 Alexandrians who died during the Vietnam War.

The local events reflect Memorial Day’s origins as Decoration Day, a time set aside to remember military personnel who died in combat, from injuries or because of wartime conditions.

During a 2024 visit to Alexandria National Cemetery, where he joined hundreds of volunteers, former President Barack Obama described Memorial Day as “a reminder that there are certain ties that bind us together as Americans, regardless of our differences.”

Alexandria’s commemorations will coincide with major events across the Washington region, including a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, the National Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol lawn, the National Memorial Day Parade and the Rolling to Remember motorcycle ride, formerly known as Rolling Thunder.

Organizers expect additional interest as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.

“Together, these events offer residents and visitors an opportunity to reflect, remember and pay tribute to the men and women whose sacrifices continue to shape the nation’s history,” VFW Post 609 Commander Jerry Krueger said.