Memorial Day Weekend 2026: Parades, Parks, Fests, and Trips

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer in Wisconsin, and in the greater Milwaukee area, that means three packed days of parades, lakefront festivals, outdoor waterparks, Brewers baseball, and some of the best road-trip weather of the year. Whether you're staying close to home or willing to drive, the options for families with kids are genuinely excellent this year.

Here's everything you need to plan Memorial Day weekend 2026 in and around Milwaukee, from Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25.

Memorial Day Parades & Ceremonies

Wood National Cemetery, Milwaukee (Mon, May 25): The state's largest Memorial Day program, at 5000 W. National Ave. on the Milwaukee VA campus. Milwaukee American Legion Band pre-ceremony concert at 9 a.m.; official program at 9:25 a.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Wreath-laying, rifle volley, taps, and "God Bless America." Shuttles available from parking for limited mobility.

Whitefish Bay Memorial Day Ceremony (Mon, May 25, 11 a.m.): Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veterans Monument in Armory Park (Henry Clay & Ardmore). 2026 keynote speaker is Marine Corps veteran Zach Zdroik; musical performances include Florentine Opera Baumgartner Studio Artist Zachary Taylor.

Wauwatosa (Mon, May 25, ~9 a.m.): Annual Memorial Day Observance at Hart Park near the future Wauwatosa Veterans Memorial site. Confirm with the Wauwatosa Civic Celebration Committee at (414) 736-6517.

Shorewood (Sun, May 24, 3 p.m.): Community Memorial Day Program on the lawn of Shorewood High School Administration Building, 1701 E. Capitol Drive.

Waukesha (Mon, May 25): Allied Veterans Council coordinates a full slate — Avenue of Flags at Prairie Home Cemetery (8 a.m.–2 p.m., 605 S. Prairie Ave.); river ceremony with flower-toss into the Fox River at Veterans Park (710 N. West Ave.) at 9 a.m. (bring live flowers, no plastic); main service at 10 a.m. at Cutler Park / Les Paul Performance Center, 321 Wisconsin Ave.

Brookfield (Sun, May 24): The City of Brookfield Memorial Day Parade is a longstanding Sunday-before-Memorial-Day tradition. Confirm 2026 route/time with the City of Brookfield (ci.brookfield.wi.us).

Greendale (Mon, May 25, ~9:40 a.m.): Greendale Veterans Memorial program — a quiet, powerful tribute featuring prayers, taps, and a moment of silence.

New Berlin (Mon, May 25, 11 a.m.): Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, 14875 W. Greenfield Ave. — service begins in Section 16 with the New Berlin Hoeppner-Horn Bros., a rifle salute, and a balloon release.

Menomonee Falls (Mon, May 25, 10 a.m.): Memorial Day Parade on Main Street.

Racine (Mon, May 25, 10 a.m.): Parade on Washington Avenue at West Boulevard, traveling north along West Boulevard to Graceland Cemetery for the ceremony. West Boulevard closes 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The Racine Zoo traditionally offers free admission to active-duty military and veterans on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend ("Red, White & Zoo").

Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee (Mon, May 25, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.): Free family event with costumed reenactors portraying notable Milwaukeeans (Alice G. Chapman, Alice Miller Chester, George Brumder, Alfred Boerner, Bertha Andrews Holbrook) plus historian Paul Haubrich's 23rd annual cemetery tour at 2 p.m. Registration requested. Enter at the Lincoln Avenue or Forest Home Avenue gates; ample free parking.

Outside the metro (worth the drive): Sheboygan Parade (Mon, 9 a.m., 7th & Center to Fountain Park, ceremony and brat fry to follow); Janesville Parade (Mon, May 25, 11 a.m.) starting at Milwaukee & Main Streets with stops at the Doughboy statue and the Rock River bridge to place wreaths and present rifle salutes.

Festivals & Community Celebrations

Falls Memorial Fest, Menomonee Falls (Sat, May 23, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.): Free admission at Mill Pond Park, Village Park, and Main Street. Three stages of live music, 5K Walk/Run for Operation Finally Home at 8 a.m., 60+ vendors, Art Guild art show, car show (10 a.m.–4 p.m.), YMCA Kids Zone (11 a.m.–4 p.m.), Knights of Columbus Lucky Ducky Derby duck drop at 3 p.m., beer/wine garden, food trucks. A free veterans' community concert follows Sunday, May 24, 5–7 p.m. at Village Park. Bonus: The Village Park Splash Pad opens Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and runs 10 a.m.–9 p.m. through Labor Day.

IKEA Family Kite Festival, Veterans Park, Milwaukee (Sat, May 23, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. & Sun, May 24, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.): Now in its 39th year, hosted by Gift of Wings at 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. Free admission and free parking. Grand Launch of 600+ kites at noon each day; first 100 kids get a free kite in the Kids Mad Dash. The site is steps from the Field of Flags display, making this a natural one-stop family outing.

Dan Jansen Family Fest, Greenfield (Fri–Sun, May 22–24, 2026): Konkel Park Memorial Day weekend tradition.

Light the Hoan — Memorial Day Weekend (Fri–Mon, May 22–25): Light the Hoan's official schedule lists Patriotic-themed shows each night Memorial Day weekend, sponsored by the Wisconsin America250 Commission. Per Light the Hoan, expect a roughly 10-minute illuminated light show; best viewed from the lakefront. (The "We Energies Summer Kickoff" branding from 2025 does not appear on the 2026 schedule.)

South Milwaukee: Watch local pages for an American Legion Post 27 short remembrance ceremony Monday morning; the city's downtown farmers market opens May 28.

Beaches, Parks & Outdoor Family Fun

Milwaukee County beaches — Bradford (2400 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.), McKinley, and South Shore — are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the season. McKinley reopened in 2025 after a multi-year closure for safety improvements (no swimming beyond the breakwater). No lifeguards at Milwaukee County beaches.

North Shore favorite: Klode Park Beach (5960 N. Lake Drive, Whitefish Bay), open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with picnic area, tennis courts, and a playground.

Lake Geneva's Riviera Beach charges paid admission Memorial Day weekend (May 23–25) but does not staff lifeguards May 26–30. Full season opens Saturday, May 30 (peak-season hours 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m. June 13–Aug. 9). Free non-admission access available at Library Park.

Wisconsin DNR pro tips: Most state parks operate 6 a.m.–11 p.m.; vehicle admission pass required at most state parks/forests. Buy online ahead. Park-system "hidden gems" to consider Memorial Day: Point Beach State Forest (Lake Michigan shoreline + Rawley Point Lighthouse), Wyalusing State Park (Mississippi River canoe trail), and Tower Hill State Park (1830s shot tower near Spring Green). Closer in: Harrington Beach (Ozaukee County), Lake Kegonsa, and the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit (three beaches and four campgrounds).

Lakeshore State Park, Milwaukee has scheduled spring programming the week before — including a bonfire and birding programs (May 19–20, 2026). Check dnr.wi.gov/events for additional weekend nature programs.

Farmers Markets

Brookfield Farmers Market (Sat, May 23, 7:30 a.m.–noon, 16900 W. Gebhardt Rd.) — running since May 2, the longest-running area market.

Greenfield Farmers Market (Sun, May 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Konkel Park, 5151 W. Layton Ave.) — running since May 3.

Oak Creek Farmers Market (Sat, May 23, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Drexel Town Square) — running since May 2.

Kenosha HarborMarket (Sat, May 23, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. on 2nd Avenue) — running since May 2; lakefront artisan/farmers hybrid.

West Allis Farmers Market (Tues/Thurs/Sat, hours vary, 6501 W. National Ave.) — 107th season, voted Best Farmers Market by both Shepherd Express and Milwaukee Magazine.

Elkhorn Farmers Market opens Saturday, May 23 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Veteran's Park — a perfect pair with Lake Geneva or Lake-area activities.

Most beloved area markets — South Shore (June 6), Tosa (June 6), Shorewood (June 14), Fox Point (June 13), Riverwest (June 7), Whitefish Bay, and Cathedral Square — open the first or second weekend of June.

Brewers, Zoo & Indoor Backup Plans

Brewers at American Family Field: Sat, May 23 vs. Dodgers 6:15 p.m. (Patriotic Brewers Hat); Sun, May 24 vs. Dodgers 1:10 p.m. (Brewers Pennant Kids giveaway); Mon, May 25 vs. Cardinals 1:10 p.m. (Dollar Dog Day). Three home games in three days makes the weekend exceptional for baseball families.

Milwaukee County Zoo: Switches to peak-season hours (9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily) starting May 23, with the West parking entrance open for the season. The new summer exhibit Powerful Pollinators, presented by Meijer, debuts May 23. Kohl's Wild Theater shows in the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm run noon and 1:30 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday, all summer (free with Zoo admission).

Discovery World, Milwaukee Public Museum, Betty Brinn Children's Museum, and the Mitchell Park Domes are all great rainy-day fallbacks.

Two-Hour-Drive Day Trips

Madison — World's Largest Brat Fest (Fri–Sun, May 22–24, Alliant Energy Center, Willow Island): Free admission, free parking, 75 local, regional, and national musical acts (2026 headliners include Priscilla Block, Great White, The Lovin' Spoonful, and Rhett Walker), fireworks, carnival, and brats. Since 1983, the fest has donated more than $2.75 million to local charities. ~75-minute drive from Milwaukee.

Madison — Madison Mallards baseball (summer-collegiate at the Duck Pond) typically opens its season Memorial Day weekend.

Wisconsin Dells: Memorial Day weekend marks the opening of most outdoor waterparks, including Noah's Ark (51 slides, two wave pools, surf simulator) and Land of Natura, which took the #1 spot on Newsweek's Readers' Choice Best Outdoor Water Park 2026 list (winners announced May 6, 2026). Mt. Olympus, Kalahari, Wilderness, Chula Vista, and Great Wolf Lodge offer year-round indoor waterparks. ~2-hour drive.

Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, IL: The park's 50th-anniversary season opened April 25, 2026, with the season-long anniversary celebration running June 20 through August 9. The park first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America; per park manager Hardeep Lall, "Opening day is always exciting, but kicking off our 50th anniversary season makes this year truly special." Highlights include a new nighttime spectacular, a nightly drone show, and a legacy museum. Free Pre-K Pass for ages 3–5 (requires a paid 2026 Silver/Gold/Prestige Pass to register; must be activated by May 31). ~75 minutes south of Milwaukee.

Green Bay — Bay Beach Amusement Park: Open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend (134th season). Admission and standard parking are free; ride tickets are 25 cents each. New for 2026: the expanded West End Train (a C.P. Huntington train from Chance Rides) connects the park to the 2024 inclusive playground for 50 cents one-way. ~2-hour drive.

Lake Geneva (~75 min): American Legion Post 24 hosts a Memorial Day Parade and service Monday morning at 10 a.m. — starts at Broad Street & Wisconsin Avenue, ends at Brunk Pavilion in Flat Iron Park. The Abbey Resort launches "Burnin' Down the Docks" Memorial Day weekend Sundays (12:30–4:30 p.m.). Riviera Beach is open for paid admission Saturday–Monday.

Sheboygan / Kohler-Andrae State Park (~1 hr): Sheboygan's Memorial Day Parade Mon at 9 a.m. ends at Fountain Park with a ceremony and brat fry. Kohler-Andrae's springtime ranger-led birding and wildflower walks run the week prior; the beaches and dune cordwalk are at their best.

Recommendations

If you have kids under 7: Spend Saturday at Veterans Park for the IKEA Family Kite Festival, walk over to the Field of Flags for a brief, age-appropriate visit, then take in the Brewers' 6:15 p.m. game (Patriotic Brewers Hat night) or head home for an early bedtime. Monday morning: a nearby small-town parade (Menomonee Falls or Whitefish Bay), then lunch and a swim/splash at Falls Memorial Fest's newly opened Village Park Splash Pad (10 a.m.–9 p.m.).

If you have kids 7–12: Saturday is Falls Memorial Fest day — the YMCA Kids Zone, Lucky Ducky Derby, art show, car show, and live music make it the most cost-effective family destination of the weekend. Sunday, road-trip to Brat Fest in Madison (free admission, free parking, 75 live musical acts). Monday: catch a hometown parade and the Brewers 1:10 p.m. Pennant giveaway game.

If you have tweens/teens chasing adventure: Build the weekend around either Wisconsin Dells (outdoor waterparks open this weekend, sunset Dells boat tours, ziplines) or Six Flags Great America's 50th-anniversary opening. Either makes a great two-night, one-park weekend.

Plan-ahead checklist (do this by Wednesday, May 20):

1. Buy a Wisconsin State Park vehicle admission pass online (or claim your free Wisconsin-resident-veteran admission if eligible — exemption applies May 23–25).

2. Buy Brewers tickets — Dodgers weekend tends to sell.

3. Reserve a Six Flags Pre-K Pass (free, ages 3–5; requires a 2026 paid season pass to register) and activate by May 31, 2026.

4. If Dells-bound, book outdoor-waterpark hotel passes — many sell out the Sunday-through-Thursday windows fastest.

5. Stock the car with chairs for parades and bug spray/tick spray for state parks.