🥁 March, Honor & Remember — Flags, Cannons & Civil War History @ Rosehill! 🌹

🥁 March, Honor & Remember — Flags, Cannons & Civil War History @ Rosehill! 🌹

61st Annual Memorial Day Parade & Service @ Rosehill Cemetery 🇺🇸 (Part 1 of 2)

We've done this for the last 8 years and it is always moving and memorable! For those not going out of town, new to the city, or without holiday plans — please join us for the 61st Annual Memorial Day Parade & Service at Rosehill Cemetery! 🌹

🗓️ Tentative Itinerary
⏰ 9:30–10:00 AM — Meet & greet inside Rosehill Cemetery — grab a spot to sit
🥁 10:00 AM–12:15 PM — Memorial Day Parade, Veterans Service & Civil War Reenactments
🍽️ 12:30–2:30 PM — Brunch at Fireside Restaurant & Lounge (see separate sign-up — Part 2!)

📍 Where to Meet Meet inside the cemetery at the main gates around 9:30 AM. We'll gather under the big trees to the right of the main path from the entrance gates off Ravenswood, near the old train tracks/embankment. This gives us the best view of the parade coming in from the street, and we can easily move to the Rose Garden for the service and reenactments.

At 10:00 AM, the parade steps off from Clark & Rosehill Drive, making its way through the main gates. After the parade, we follow the crowd to the Veterans Memorial Rose Garden for the wreath-laying ceremony — then on to the Civil War Memorial for reenactments and the cannon firing! 💥

🪑 What to Bring Bring a blanket or chair to sit on during the service, plus water and sunscreen if it's warm!

🍳 Joining for Brunch After? Sign up separately for Part 2 — Brunch at Fireside Restaurant & Lounge! Click here👉 https://www.meetup.com/the-active-chicago-50s-and-up-group/events/314882934/

🎖️ About the Parade & Cemetery The Rosehill Cemetery Memorial Day Parade is the largest Memorial Day parade on Chicago's North Side, a tradition more than sixty years strong, helmed by The American Legion Tattler Post. Kids on decorated bikes join at the end of the parade. War reenactments take place after the service, followed by hot dogs & chips provided by the Boy Scouts of America! 🌭

Rosehill Cemetery is a place of deep Civil War history — containing the graves of fourteen Union generals, six drummer boys, and hundreds of Civil War soldiers. Members of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, the unit that fired the first shots at Gettysburg, are buried here. A portion of the administration building is home to a Civil War Museum featuring exhibits on the war and Chicago's role in the conflict.
🔗 https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/rosehill-cemetery-and-civil-war-museum

🚗 Getting There
🚇 Public transit: Google Maps or CTA Trip Planner → https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
🚗 Driving: Free parking usually available on Ravenswood & nearby side streets — watch for no-parking and permit-only signs. May need to park a few blocks away due to the holiday weekend.
⛔ DO NOT PARK INSIDE THE CEMETERY ON MEMORIAL DAY — that is reserved for parade operations!

⚠️ No-Show Policy (Please Read)

• 3 no-shows without updating RSVP = 3-month event freeze
• RSVP cut-off is event start time — if running late, message the host directly
• Check in with the host upon arrival (walks, tours & festival-type events)
• Continued no-shows may result in removal from the group