Summer may be four weeks away, but in the District, it all starts this weekend.
With the three-day Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of the season, pools will open for the summer. Crowds will gather for Monday’s National Memorial Day Parade. And whether they’re planning a weekend of quiet contemplation at Arlington National Cemetery or one spent lounging on the sand at Virginia Beach, D.C. residents can look forward to temperatures in the 90s throughout the weekend.
Stretched out by the food trucks in Farragut Square just hours before the weekend began, locals shared plans to shop, host cookouts and go boating on the Eastern Shore. Others just welcomed a rare day off.
“My sister’s here this weekend, but she’s leaving Saturday so I’m spending Memorial Day writing report cards,” laughed Melissa Legg, a teacher from McLean.
For those staying in the District this weekend, the traditional Memorial Day Parade will feature performances by “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and appearances by actor Gary Sinise (“Forrest Gump”) and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Arlington National Cemetery scheduled a full slate of events honoring veterans, culminating with a ceremony in the cemetery’s amphitheater that’s expected to draw up to 5,000 people.
“Every day is kind of Memorial Day here,” cemetery spokeswoman Jennifer Lynch said. “We’re always honoring and remembering America’s heroes and their families. It’s the volume of people that come that makes Memorial Day so special here.”
Locals looking to bypass the pomp and circumstance and simply soak up the sun this weekend need look no farther than the city’s public pools, which Mayor Vincent Gray helped open Friday. The sweltering weekend is expected to generate large crowds.
“If people are interested in stay-cations,” said Parks and Recreation Department spokesman John Stokes, “there’s no better way to enjoy the weather than to visit neighborhood recreation centers and pools.”
Beach towns within driving distance — Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach and Virginia Beach — are gearing up for their first rush of summer visitors. Virginia Beach officials expect record crowds this year for events ranging from a strawberry festival to a surfing competition.
For some, though, Memorial Day weekend means more than a chance to fire up the grill and knock back a few beers.
Alexandria native Taft Sellers, 29, said his family gathers for a cookout every year to honor family members in the military. Sellers, a Marine sergeant who served six years overseas, was raised by his grandfather, a Korean War veteran, and has several cousins in the military.
“Memorial Day always had a big meaning for me,” he said. “We all have a greater appreciation for the military’s service.”
