The City of Dunkirk Festivals and Special Events department are proud to announce the Annual Memorial Day Parade in downtown Dunkirk on Monday. The parade is sponsored by APG, Van Buren Drive-In, Refresco, Dunkirk-Fredonia Rotary Club and Dunkirk Veterans Club of World War II.

The day will begin with a memorial service at 8:30 a.m. at the Dunkirk Lighthouse presented by the Knights of Columbus and a 10 a.m. memorial service at Memorial Park directed by the Dunkirk Joint Veterans Council.

The Memorial Day services will be conducted by the participating organizations of the Dunkirk Joint Veterans Council under the direction of Mr. Jack Sievert, Commander, with master of ceremonies John D’Agostino, editor of the OBSERVER, The Post-Journal and Times Observer.

The DJVC has been proudly hosting the Memorial Day Services since 1966, making 2026 their 60th year of honoring our veterans who made the supreme sacrifice for us, laying down their lives while serving in the Armed Forces.

The event’s grand marshal is Michael D. Edwards who first came to the United States from England when he was 5 years old with his parents Alfred and Evelyn Edwards. Michael grew up in Dunkirk and is a graduate of Dunkirk High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 and served as a radio operator until being discharged in 1967. Edwards was awarded a Purple Heart after being injured by shrapnel. He was a local labor leader and advocate serving in several officer positions for the United Steelworkers union. In 2007 he retired from the Dunkirk Radiator.

Michael honors his fellow veterans serving as a member of the Dunkirk Joint Veterans Council honor guard, honoring fallen veterans with military services at their funerals. For the last four year, he has been responsible for ordering flags for our local cemeteries so all deceased veterans get a flag for Memorial Day. Michael is married to Martha Edwards, who is an officer in the Ladies Auxiliary at the American Legion Post 62, where Michael is a member and previous commander. They have two sons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

The Memorial Day Parade will begin approximately at 11 a.m. directly following the Memorial Day Service. The parade route proceeds east on Lake Shore Drive West to Central Avenue, right on Central Avenue and proceed to Fifth Street. The parade turns east onto Fifth Street and disbands at Washington Park with a hydration station hosted by Revitalize Dunkirk. Most city blocks adjacent to the parade route may be barricaded and closed for the parade. Please be observant for changing traffic patterns.

The parade is being organized by parade marshal Alexis Tofil, Dunkirk Youth and Recreation Coordinator while Dunkirk Second Ward Councilman and U.S. Army veteran Frank Torain will take the reins as parade emcee at City Hall. A decorated veterans’ trailer organized and towed by Jack Hood, retired U.S. Marine Corps and DJVC/Dunkirk Memorial Post 62 Adjutant, and his wife Carol Hood, retired U.S. Federal Government Department of Defense, will be available to any veteran wanting to ride in the Monday parade. It will be parked at Memorial Park by the rails behind the monuments for easier transport. If interested, please contact Tofil at the below contact information. The parade lineup of participants is as follows: Division 1 (Along Lakeshore Drive West with Parade Marshal/Division Leader Alexis Tofil): Mayor Kate Wdowiasz with Dunkirk Police Captain Doug Switzer, Dunkirk Fire Department Honor Guard, Dunkirk JR ROTC Color Guard and Secondary School JR ROTC, Master of Ceremonies John D’Agostino and wife Catherine D’Agostino, Grand Marshal Michael Edwards, Dunkirk Joint Veterans Council Commander Jack Sievert/DJVC members, veteran trailer and veteran walkers, Dunkirk City Council members and Elected Officials.

Division 2 (Pelican Street): Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Dunkirk Lodge 922 with large American flag, Dunkirk Little League, Dunkirk Secondary School – Dunkirk Marching Marauders, New York Army National Guard, Girl Scout Troop #20258, Central Christian Academy, and the Family Martial Arts Center.

Division 3 (Swan Street): Sons of Liberty RC Riding Club, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc., Dunkirk Athletics, Northern Chautauqua Catholic School (NCCS), Lake Erie Lightning 8U, 9U, 10U & 11U Travel Baseball Teams, Infinity Dance Academy, North Coast Brass, and Los de la Isla Jeep Club. Division 4 (Dove Street): Upward Bound Program, McKenna Academy of Dance, Spoke Folk Bicycle Program/Meals on 2 Wheels, WDOE/Kix Country, Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels, Hamburg Kingsman Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps, The Resource Center, and Lowrider Bike Club.

Division 5 (Plover Street with Division Leader Chief Nick Barter): Dunkirk City Fire Department (Command Unit, Rescue 1, Engine 1, Engine 3 and Truck 1, East Town Fire Department, Silver Creek Fire Department, Pillar of Fire Fellowship and Dunkirk Police Escort. All parade participants should arrive no later then 10:15 a.m. for line up. Miniature flags for waving and candy will be distributed to families along the parade route while supplies last.

The American Legion Post 62 at 211 Central Ave. will also have a Weidner’s chicken barbecue from 12 noon until sold out. The cost is $15 pre-sale at the Legion or $16 at the door that day. Live music and a chance auction will also be available. The public is invited to attend the festivities and the DJVC urges residents to fly the flag this Memorial Day. Memorial Day was established on May 29, 1863 as a designated day for the purpose of strewing flowers over the graves of our dead veterans who had died in defense of our country. For more information about being a parade participant and/or event sponsor, please contact Tofil, at (716) 366-9877 or atofil@cityofdunkirk.com