List: Memorial Day Events in Ferndale and Surrounding Communities

Memorial Day weekend – the first holiday weekend of summer, as it's called, is a few days away – a time for parades, picnics and perhaps a cottage-opening trip up north.

It's also a more solemn occasion for many families, as befits the name Memorial Day. Graveside visits, flag placements and memories of former service members are part of the late May ritual for millions of Americans.

"We must remember and acknowledge the debt we owe to these men and women. We must never take for granted their contributions and sacrifice," says a statement from Jason Allen of Traverse City, head of Michigan’s Veterans Affairs Directorate.

Memorial Day Parade in Ferndale

On Monday, the city of Ferndale will host its 94th annual parade and ceremony paying tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country.

Organized by the Ferndale Memorial Association, the parade starts at 10 a.m. on Livernois at West Breckenridge and heads north. Participants then march east on Maplehurst, south on Woodward, west on Nine Mile, and south at Livernois, ending at the Memorial Mall in front of Fire Station No. 1.

The Ferndale Police Honor Guard will lead the parade and shoot the salute for the program.

The Memorial Day Parade will also include a tribute to the men and women who gave their lives serving Michigan’s military units in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. As part of the "Michigan's Fallen" Foot Float, volunteers will carry individual placards and accompanying banners and flags in honor of those who have given their lives while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Here is a list of events scheduled in other communities Monday:

• Beverly Hills: Parade starts at 11 a.m. from , traveling north on Evergreen and then east on Beverly Road to Beverly Park. Participants include U.S. Marines, marching bands, a bagpiper, scouts, Brownies, Little Leaguers, decorated bikes, classic cars, fire trucks, police and sheriff vehicles. The Beverly Hills Lions Club hosts a four-mile and two-mile family walk starting at 9 a.m. in Beverly Park, 18305 Beverly Rd. A carnival there follows the parade.
• Clawson: Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from , 655 S. Main, to  at North Main Street and Roth Boulevard. A brief ceremony includes a 21-one gun salute. 
• Dexter: American Legion Post 557, the Dexter Area Historical Society and the village present a 9 a.m. service in the Monument Park gazebo, followed by a parade .
• Farmington: Parade starts at 10 a.m., proceeding along Grand River Avenue.
• Grosse Pointe: Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the War Memorial, 32 Lakeshore Drr., with a Joint Service Color Guard and keynote addres by Lt. Col. Rolf  Mammen, a Selfridge Air National Guard Base maintenance group deputy commander. Nonresidents are welcome. Parking is free.
• Northville: VFW Post 4012 presents a 10 a.m. parade starting on Griswold at Northville Downs, proceeding west on Main Street to Hutton, to Dunlap, to south on Center to Cady, west on Cady, stopping at Oakwood Cemetery, then proceeding to First, Fairbrook and ending at noon at the Veterans' Memorial at Rural Hill Cemetery.
• Novi: Parade leaves at 10 a.m. from 10 Mile Road and Karim Boulevard, traveling west on 10 Mile to the Civic Center for a noon service near the Veterans' Memorial Marker in front of the Civic Center. 
• Rochester/Rochester Hills: at 9:15 a.m. in Mount Avon Cemetery, West Third and Wilcox in Rochester, are followed by 10 a.m. parade to Veterans Memorial Pointe, southeast corner of Avon and Livernois in Rochester Hills.
• Royal Oak: at 9 a.m. near Main Street and Harrison, heading north on Main to Second and east to the Royal Oak Veterans Memorial for a ceremony with music by the high school, middle school and U.S. Navy bands. About 1,500 people typically attend the parade.
• Saline: Boy Scout Troop 416 hosts a pancake breakfast fund-raiser at the Saline Fire House, 8-10 a.m., before 10 a.m. parade from Harris Street to the cemetery.
• Troy: Half-hour starts at 11 a.m. at 500 W. Big Beaver.
• White Lake: Pancake Breakfast at the White Lake Inn, 3955 Ormond Rd., from 8:30-11:30 a.m., followed by noon flag-raising ceremony. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children, benefiting White Lake Citizens League Fireworks Fund.
• Plymouth: Ceremonies begin downtown at 8:30 a.m. as the Plymouth Memorial Day Parade gets under way at Harvey and Wing streets. The parade will proceed north, ending at Plymouth Veterans Memorial Park at Main and Church streets for a memorial ceremony from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Canton: The BeckRidge Chorale will perform its patriotic Because of the Brave set Monday at the Village Theater at Cherry Hill at 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets are $8 and $10 and can be ordered online.
• Lake Orion: Starting at 11 a.m. the Memorial Day Parade will wind through downtown Lake Orion. At 1 p.m. the Orion Veterans Memorial, 312 S. Broadway, will be the scene for a special Memorial Day ceremony. 
• New Baltimore: A Memorial Day parade will march through downtown starting at 10 a.m. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes in a holiday theme and participate in the parade.
• Dearborn: The Memorial Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. and includes a funeral service, flyovers and a remembrance ceremony at noon. This all happens on Michigan Avenue between Greenfield and Schaefer roads.
• Keego Harbor: The parade will start at 10 a.m. at Abbott Middle School and will conclude at Keego Harbor’s City Hall with a ceremony honoring current and former Armed Forces members followed by family program including a picnic in Rose Sortor Park.