2021 Guide To Ocean County Memorial Day Events

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Memorial Day weekend may be the unofficial start of summer at the Jersey Shore, but it's also a time for solemn remembrance of the sacrifice of our U.S. military.

Memorial Day weekend in 2020 was quiet with parades and ceremonies canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. With restrictions being lifted as the pandemic wanes, many towns are planning in-person events to once again honor our war dead.

Here's a town-by-town list of Memorial Day events in 2021 in Ocean County, where you can pay your respects to those who left to serve and never returned home.

BARNEGAT LIGHT: The town at the northern tip of Long Beach Island will host a parade on Sunday at 6 p.m., from West 11th Street and Central Avenue to Broadway to the Fishermen's Memorial at Barnegat Inlet.

BARNEGAT: A service is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at the Frederick Watts Gazebo Park, on the corner of East Bay Avenue and Route 9, conducted jointly by American Legion Post 232 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10092.

BAY HEAD: The borough will hold a service at 9 a.m. Saturday in front of Borough Hall, 83 Bridge Ave.

BEACH HAVEN: A service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in Beach Haven, hosted by the Beach Haven Community Arts Program and Barnegat Light VFW Post 3729. There will not be a parade this year.

BEACHWOOD: The Beachwood Fire Department will hold its annual Firefighter Memorial Service and community parade. The service begins at 10 a.m. in front of the firehouse and the parade follows at 11. a.m., from the fire house to Neilson Memorial Park at Beachwood Boulevard and Compass Avenue, where the borough's Memorial Day service will take place.

BERKELEY: The Berkeley Shores Homeowners Civic Association will hold its Memorial Day ceremony in Amherst Inlet in the Berkeley Shores section of town beginning at noon Saturday. The program will include a boat parade and the blessing of the fleet by clergy. Gold Star Mothers will be honored and a wreath will be laid on the water.

BRICK: The township will hold a parade on Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road to the municipal building, where a ceremony will be held at the township's War Memorial. The parade begins at 10 a.m.

EAGLESWOOD: American Legion Post 493 will honor fallen heroes on Sunday with brief color guard ceremonies and gun salutes at the West Creek Cemetery, at about 11:15 a.m., and at the Staffordville Cemetery, at about 11:40 a.m. Organizers suggest arriving 10-15 minutes early to avoid missing the ceremonies.

LAVALLETTE: A service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the memorial park at Brooklyn Avenue and Bay Boulevard.

LITTLE EGG HARBOR/TUCKERTON: Starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, American Legion Post 493 will put flags on veterans' graves at Greenwood Cemetery. On Sunday, a service is set for 10 a.m. at Veterans Park on Radio Road, hosted by the American Legion and Tuckerton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 316, who will walk from the Thorton Community Center to the park.

MANCHESTER: A service will be held beginning at 10 a.m. Monday at World War II Memorial Park, Lake Avenue in Whiting. There will not be a parade this year.

OCEAN GATE: A service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at Veterans Memorial Park, Ocean Gate Drive and Point Pleasant Drive.

PLUMSTED: The American Legion is hosting a service that begins at 7 a.m. Monday at the Catholic Church on Evergreen Road and will stop at the Zoar Cemetery on Brown Lane and at the Zion Cemetery on Lakewood Road/Route 528 at 7:30 a.m. A firing squad will be firing rounds to salute those who gave their lives.

POINT PLEASANT BEACH: The annual bike parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, leaving from the Dollar General parking lot and riding down Arnold Avenue. A ceremony will be held at Memorial Park by Silver Lake after the parade, approximately 11 a.m.

POINT PLEASANT: The annual ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the bandshell at Community Park, Beaver Dam Road and Bridge Avenue. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the courtroom at Borough Hall.

SEASIDE PARK: The borough will hold its annual service at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Municipal Plaza lawn, 6th and Central avenues. In case of inclement weather, the observance will move to the mayor and council chambers.

SHIP BOTTOM: There is a service scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday in front of Borough Hall, 16th Street and Central Avenue.

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP: Southern Regional High School's front lawn has been filled with flags honoring the more than 7,000 military members who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. There will be a service at 9 a.m. Monday in the municipal courtyard at the Stafford Township Municipal Complex, 260 E. Bay Ave.

SURF CITY: A service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Veterans Park. There will be a limited capacity at the event.

TOMS RIVER: There is a ceremony set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Toms River Elks Lodge 1875, 600 Washington St. On Monday, Pleasant Plains Fire Company will hold a service at 8 a.m. at the fire house, 40 Clayton Ave., and American Legion Post 129 will hold a service at 11 a.m. at Toms River Town Hall.

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