Your Guide to Memorial Day Weekend Around Rochester
Heritage Days, chili cook-off and annual parade highlight three days of activities in Rochester and Rochester Hills.
There's more than just backyard picnics happening in Rochester and Rochester Hills this weekend. Here's a guide to help you plan your three-day holiday weekend.
Greater Rochester Heritage Days
This popular festival returns to Rochester Municipal Park this weekend. It runs 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Highlights include displays of early Rochester, War of 1812 re-enactments, a craft show, pony and camel rides, a motorcycle rally and custom car show, and, of course, festival food.
The Rochester Grangers, a vintage "base ball" team, plays at 1 p.m. Saturday at Halbach Field near the park.
The festival is free to attend. Greater Rochester Heritage Days is organized this year by Rochester-Avon Historical Society, Rochester Lion’s Club, Oakland Township Historical Society, Rochester Historical Commission, O’Connors Public House, and Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve.
Great Lakes Timber Show
Another highlight of Heritage Days is this show, which is part education and history, part humor and entertainment. It's for all ages and features the lumberjack skills of Bruce Belanger and company; armed with axes and chainsaws they'll carve and chop wood and perform a log-rolling routine.
Performances are Saturday at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
Chili Cook-Off
Who has the best chili in town? You decide!
A Chili Cook-Off will be a highlight of the Greater Rochester Heritage Days Festival this weekend at Rochester Municipal Park.
For $1, you'll get a taste of chili. For $10, you can sample all the chili you can eat.
Competitors are O’Connors Public House, Rochester Chop House, Chomp Deli and Grille, Royal Park Hotel, Metropolitan Cafe, and Tower Bistro.
Memorial Day Parade
The annual Memorial Day parade for Rochester and Rochester Hills begins with an opening ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Monday at Mount Avon Cemetery. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and ends at Veterans Memorial Pointe park at the corner of Livernois and Avon roads in Rochester Hills. Veterans will be able to ride in the parade; if you want to participate, call 248-651-8137.
Military prayer service
An honor guard and a military flyover will highlight a special ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Guardian Angel Cemetery in Rochester. The service will feature inspirational readings and prayer.
Field of fallen heroes
The Field of Honor, a special military tribute featuring flags and biographies for every military person killed during recent conflicts, is on display now at Guardian Angel Cemetery. The display will continue through June 1. In 2011, Patch photographed all of the heroes' tributes in this report.
In This article
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Rochester Municipal Park
Ludlow Street, Rochester, MI -
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O'Connor's Public House
324 S Main St, Rochester, MI -
Rochester Chop House & Oyster Bar
306 S Main St, Rochester, MI
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Chomp Deli, Grille and Juice Bar
200 S Main St, Rochester, MI -
Royal Park Hotel
600 E University Dr, Rochester, MI -
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Mount Avon Cemetery
W 3rd St & Wilcox St, Rochester, MI -
Veterans Memorial Pointe
Avon Road and Livernois, Rochester Hills, MI -
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Guardian Angel Cemetery
4701 N Rochester Rd, Rochester, MI -
Christine Laikind
9:21 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
While walking around downtown, make sure you check out the skateboard art in the windows in some of the 23 merchants that are participating in Deck Art 2012.
ohSusana
11:59 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Volunteers needed Saturday May 26 9a.m. to clean up and plant the gardens at Veterans Pointe in preparation for the parade and ceremonies Memorial Day. See calendar for details. thanks!