How to mark Memorial Day weekend in Pittsburgh

From parades to patriotic performances, if you’re in Pittsburgh during Memorial Day weekend, here are some ways to honor those who died serving our country.  

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum Celebration 

Monday, May 29, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Day Celebration and Ceremony is an annual event hosted in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in the heart of the Pittsburgh campus. The free celebration kicks off with an 11 a.m. tribute to fallen post-9/11 Pennsylvania service members.

Following the service, there will be family friendly activities including crafts, face painting, a bouncy house and contests with prizes. Mike Frazer of 94.5 3WS radio will host the day’s events.

Camp Chase Fifes and Drums will also perform Civil War music in period costumes throughout the day.

Americans around the country will pause at 3 p.m. to mark the National Moment of Remembrance, one minute of silence to remember those honored on this day.

Visit a memorial

Memorial Day is an ideal time to visit the region’s monuments and memorials. Here are a few to consider. 

The Flight 93 National Memorial commemorates the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, which was one of the four planes hijacked during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 
Location: Stoystown, Pennsylvania

The Korean War Memorial honors those who served in combat in Korea.
Location: 100 North Shore Drive

The Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial honors those who died in the line of duty and, more broadly, law enforcement personnel, living and dead.
Location: North Shore Drive at Art Rooney Avenue near Heinz Field

The Vietnam Veterans' Monument commemorates the 421 men from Allegheny County who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War.
Location: North Shore Trail 

The Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Memorial honors veterans from this region who served in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific during World War II, as well as those who contributed to the war efforts at home.
Location: North Shore Drive, Great Lawn Park

— Kara Henderson, photography by Aimee Obidzinski