Communities throughout Portage County will mark Memorial Day with ceremonies and processions that will honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
Events listed below are planned for Memorial Day, which is May 25, unless noted. Send information about any events we missed to jsaunders@recordpub.com.
Aurora
Aurora’s American Legion Post 803 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2629 plan a wreath-laying ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park, 40 W. Garfield Road, starting at 10:15 a.m. A procession to Aurora Cemetery will follow, then will travel to Aurora Police Department, 100 S. Aurora Road.
Edinburg Township
Lineup for the Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. at Edinburg United Church, 4081 Rock Spring Road. The parade starts at 11 a.m. and will travel to Edinburg Cemetery on State Route 14, where a ceremony will take place.
The Southeast High School marching band and choir will perform. The parade grand marshals will be the Hometown Heroes, and the group’s Steven Farhat will speak.
The Interstate 76 exit ramps will be closed while the parade is taking place.
Hiram Village
The annual parade starts about 12:30 p.m. with a solemn procession from the Post Office at State Route 82 and Hayden Street to Fairview Cemetery at Wakefield and Ryder roads. Following, community members will be invited to plant flowers at the graves of honored veterans. Participants are asked to bring trowel and a lawn chair.
Paris Township
A Memorial Day Service is planned at a time to be determined May 24 at Hawley Cemetery, 5881 McClintocksburg Road.
Randolph Township
Randolph Fire Department, 1639 State Route 44, plans its annual Memorial Day pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon.
Ravenna
The Memorial Day Association’s parade will begin at 10 a.m. on East Main Street, starting at Myrtle Street. As the parade is making its way up East Main, a small ceremony will be happening on the Courthouse Lawn in front of the Portage County Courthouse, 203 W. Main St.
When the parade reaches Chestnut Street, the color guard will join the parade. They then will travel to Maple Grove Cemetery, 6698 N. Chestnut St., for a ceremony.
The following roads will be closed 7 a.m. to around 1 p.m.: Main Street from Freedom Street to Meridian Street, Prospect Street between Spruce and Cedar streets, and Chestnut Street between Spruce Street and Loomis Parkway.
Suffield Township
Retiring Fire Chief Bob Rasnick will serve as grand marshal of the Suffield League’s Memorial Day parade. Lineup begins at 8:45 at Waterloo and Congress Lake roads, with the parade kicking off at 10 a.m. A memorial observance also is planned at Suffield Elementary School, 1128 Waterloo Road.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Memorial Day events set around Portage County
Reporting by Jeff Saunders, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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