Boalsburg Events To Celebrate Birthplace of Memorial Day

(Boalsburg, PA) -  The Village of Boalsburg will celebrate Memorial Day for the 149th time with a festive day of activities and a traditional ceremony of remembrance on Monday, May 27th.

Boalsburg is widely known as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The first celebration was held in 1864, when three townswomen gathered in the cemetery to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The tradition is now carried on by local Girl Scout Troop 1184.

Throughout the day, nearly 20,000 visitors will have a chance to spend a day in town, tempting their taste buds with local foods and shopping for wares from artisans from across the Northeast. Three museums – the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, the Boal Mansion and the Pennsylvania Military Museum – will have family oriented activities throughout the day, including encampments and a battle by Civil War re-enactors.

The day kicks off with a Fun Run at Blue Spring Park at 8:30 AM. The festival runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and features local musicians, a traditional Maypole dance at 12:30 PM and local artisans. The 6:00 PM service caps the day with a community address by John Wainright, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and the retired Vice-President-International for the Archer Daniel Midland Company. Wainright and his wife Linda moved to Boalsburg in 2003 and since then he has engaged in numerous civic activities including serving as chair of the Harris Township Planning Commission and the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee, President of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, a volunteer guide at the Boal Mansion Museum and a board member of the Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum.

For a complete list of events, visit, www.boalmuseum.com/memorialdayvillage.html or Facebook page “Memorial Day Boalsburg” or phone (814) 466-9266.