Winnetka, Glencoe 2019 Memorial Day Commemorations, Parade Route

WINNETKA-GLENCOE, IL — Memorial Day is an opportunity to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the nation. Now a three-day weekend considered the unofficial kickoff of summer, the holiday began in the wake of the Civil War to honor soldiers who died serving the armed forces of the United States of America.

Originally called Decoration Day, the springtime commemoration for Union veterans was marked by visits to the graves of some of the hundreds of thousands of men who died. In the 150 years since, what is now a federal holiday is often marked by cookouts, parades and weekend getaways.

A Memorial Day parade in Winnetka begins at 10 a.m on Monday at the corner of Glendale and Elm streets. It then heads east to Village Green Park for a ceremony. The event will be moved to the auditorium at the Skokie School, 520 Glendale Ave., in case of rain.

Winnetka resident and West Point graduate Capt. Austin Welch, an Army helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, will be the guest speaker at the event. The event is sponsored by the village, the park district and New Trier Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4831.

In Glencoe, the village and the Glencoe Historical Society are hosting a solemn ceremony at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 299 Park Ave. It will be led by community and religious leaders with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and local students. A brief program will honor Glencoe's veterans. A flag will be raised and wreaths will be laid. If it rains, the event will be held at the Takiff Center, 999 Green Bay Road.

Here's a look at what's open and what's closed on the North Shore for Memorial Day 2019:

• Village, county, state and federal offices: Closed.
• Refuse collection: In Winnetka, collections scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will be delayed by a day, Thursday and Friday collections will be normal. In Glencoe, Lakeshore Recycling Systems service will be one day delayed for the rest of the week.
• Banks: Most are closed, with limited hours at some supermarket branches.
• Post offices: Closed. No regular U.S.P.S. mail delivery.
• Public Libraries: Closed.
• Park Districts: Takiff Center open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and from 7 a.m. to noon on Monday. Glencoe Beach opens for preseason from Saturday to Monday. Check online for Winnetka Park District facility status.
• Restaurants: Most national chain restaurants are open and many will offer free or discounted menu items to active, reserve or retired military personnel.
• Whole Foods: Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Trader Joe's: Open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunset Foods: Open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Jewel-Osco: Open from 6 a.m. to midnight.
• Costco: Closed.

Meanwhile in Chicago, a Memorial Day parade is being held on Saturday, May 25 with a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m. at Daley Plaza before heading south down State Street to Van Buren Street. Bike the Drive is scheduled to take place Sunday. From 5:30 a.m. to about 10:30 a.m., all or parts of the 30-mile road will be closed to motorists for use by cyclists. Memorial Day weekend also marks the unofficial beginning of the summer festival season, with the Chicago House Music Festival, the Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest, Mole De Mayo in Pilsen and the Randolph Street Market all set for the weekend.