Your Guide to Memorial Day Weekend Around Rochester

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. 

This popular festival returns to 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.

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.

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 , , , , Metropolitan Cafe, and .

The annual Memorial Day parade for Rochester and Rochester Hills begins with an opening ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Monday at . The parade begins at 10 a.m. and ends at  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.

An honor guard and a military flyover will highlight a special ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at in Rochester. The service will feature inspirational readings and prayer.

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 .