People salute at Saranac Lake’s Memorial Day ceremony in 2023. (Enterprise photo — Elizabeth Izzo)

Monday is Memorial Day. First celebrated on May 30, 1868, the holiday was originally called Decoration Day and was commemorated by decorating the graves of soldiers killed in the Civil War. New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday in 1873. It wasn’t until after World War I that the holiday shifted to celebrating all deceased American soldiers, and in 1971, Congress established Memorial Day as an annual national holiday on the last Monday in May.

Across the Tri-Lakes, celebrations and parades have been planned to honor the memory of soldiers who died in service of their country.

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Lake Placid

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Lake Placid’s Memorial Day commemorations will start on Saturday morning, with the veterans from the American Legion, the Sons of the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary, Adirondack Homeward Bound and St. Joseph’s Recovery Center. They will all meet at 9 a.m. to place flags on the graves of all veterans with markers in the local cemeteries at St. Agnes Cemetery, then proceed to North Elba and the Jewish Cemeteries. Volunteers are welcome to join the group.

The eighth annual Carry The Load rally will be held on Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mid’s Park on Main Street.

People “carrying the load” for men and women who have died serving their country can walk, paddle or bike around the lake.

Carry the Load is a month-long nationwide campaign every May. Local organizer, Stuart Hemsley, launched Lake Placid’s version of Carry the Load in 2015.

The band Annie In The Water will perform at the bandshell at the park starting at 1 p.m.

On Monday, the Lake Placid American Legion Post 326 will lower six flags that have been flying since Memorial Day and raise six new flags in honor of local veterans who have died.

Retired flags will be presented to the family members in attendance. Another flag at the North Elba Cemetery is also maintained by the American Legion Post 326 in honor of all deceased local veterans which will be retired and replaced with a new flag. A wreath will be placed at the Legion’s Memorial Monument by the American Legion Auxiliary.

The ceremonies will begin at 9:30 a.m. that morning at the Adirondack Community Church and the World War I Memorial, where a flag honoring Robert Jones will be lowered, and a flag honoring Tom Woodman will be raised.

At 9:50 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Elderwood Lake Placid, lowering a flag honoring Larry Prager and raising a flag in honor of Larry Burdo. At 10 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Adirondack Health Lake Placid, where a flag will be lowered honoring Dorothy LeClair and one will be raised in honor of Robert Knox. At 10:20 a.m., the current flag at the North Elba Cemetery will be retired and replaced with a new flag.

At 11 a.m., the Memorial Day Parade will start at the intersection of Main Street and Saranac Avenue, continuing on Main Street to the American Legion home.

Following the parade, there will be a closing ceremony and public luncheon at the American Legion. During the closing ceremony, flags honoring Daniel Lundin, Benjamin Gadwaw and Donald Scammell will be lowered. Flags will also be raised at the Legion honoring Donald Dew, Thomas McConnell and Arthur Jubin.

The American Legion Post 326 Auxiliary will place a wreath at the Legion’s Memorial Monument in honor of all Veterans. The Auxiliary and the Sons of the Legion will be hosting a luncheon immediately following the closing ceremony. All veterans are encouraged to join the American Legion in the parade. The community, friends and families are invited to attend any and all ceremonies, the parade and the luncheon.

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Saranac Lake

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Saranac Lake’s ceremony will start with a parade at 10:45 a.m. from the Veterans Memorial Association on Broadway to Riverside Park.

At the park, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony, the Saranac Lake High School Band will play “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Taps” and members of the Saranac Lake Women’s Civic Chamber will speak about the village’s new Hometown Heroes banner program.

They will read all the names of the veterans and soldiers on the banners. Also, they will discuss a pre-sale for the next round of banner sales, which starts in January.

The Women’s Civic Chamber’s marching group in the parade will include people who bought banners for family members, or who are on them.

To read more about the Hometown Heroes program, go to tinyurl.com/yu4xmym7.

After the ceremony, the public is invited back to the Veterans’ Club for a barbecue.

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Tupper Lake

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In Tupper Lake, a ceremony is slated for 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park on Park Street on Monday, which will be hosted by the Marine Corps League. The ceremony will feature performances from the Tupper Lake Middle-High School band and the Tupper Lake Honor Guard. All are welcome to join in remembrance and gratitude on this important day. If it rains on Monday, the event will be at the Tupper Lake Middle-High School Auditorium at 25 Chaney Avenue.

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Keene

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The annual Memorial Day ceremony will commence at 10 a.m. at the Keene veteran’s monument at the entrance to Norton Brook Cemetery, near the intersection of state routes 73 and 9N. There will be a rifle salute, Taps and an array of lyrical and instrumental performances from local singers and groups that will be entwined with the ceremony. It is being organized by American Legion Marcy Post 1312. The public is encouraged to attend.

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Long Lake

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In Long Lake, the ceremonies here begin at 8:30 a.m. with a wreath laying at the town bridge that crosses over Long Lake near the Town Beach. The annual Long Lake Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9 a.m. The parade starts at Town Hall/Fire Hall, located at 1204 Main St., and will march to the Long Lake Cemetery, located on Stone Road. There will then be a ceremony at the cemetery, which is slated to begin around 9:30 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m., the parade will march to the Vietnam Memorial, located along state Route 28N/30, across from the post office. After stopping there, the parade will make its way back to the Long Lake Town Hall, and honor those who have served this country with a wreath laying, parade and ceremony at the Long Lake Cemetery.

The ceremonies are being organized by American Legion Post #650, and the public is encouraged to attend.