mstafford@observertoday.com

Dunkirk is getting ready for two big annual warm-season events, with a call put out for Memorial Day Parade participants and a Music on the Pier announcement expected next.

The parade is set for Monday, May 25 at 11 a.m., according to the City of Dunkirk Festivals and Special Events Department. Hundreds of spectators line Central Avenue for the parade every year.

The Music on the Pier concert series also brings hundreds to downtown Dunkirk. Some in the community questioned if it would or should go forward this year, given the city government’s financial woes.

However, Mayor Kate Wdowiasz told the OBSERVER last week that it is happening this summer. She said an announcement of the schedule is set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at 64 on the Pier.

The Memorial Day Parade, which is sponsored by Refresco Beverages, Dunkirk-Fredonia Rotary Club and Dunkirk Veterans Club of WWII, is currently accepting participant applications.

The city’s Memorial Day events 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 parade will travel down Central Avenue and end at Washington Park with a hydration station hosted by Revitalize Dunkirk. Miniature flags for waving will be distributed to families along the parade route while supplies last.

For more information about being a parade participant and/or event sponsor, contact Scott Mekus, Dunkirk Festivals event specialist, at 716-366-9848 or smekus@cityofdunkirk.com.