12° and Clear
Image
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan. At Westwood's Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 26, 2025, Roma Band Boston was one of many community groups that participated in a procession down Westwood's High Street.
By Madeleine Mulligan
The boom of four rifles sounds from in front of Westwood’s Town Hall, prompting screams from delighted children lining High Street in droves. Parents haul their kids back to the sidewalks as the first police car slowly begins its procession, signaling the start of Westwood's Memorial Day Commemoration and Parade.
Held annually to honor those in the U.S. military who died while serving, the Westwood Memorial Day Commemoration and Parade features a procession down High Street before ending at the New Cemetery. A ceremony then takes place to pay respect to Westwood’s veterans.
As an unofficial start to summer, many residents take the opportunity to get out in the nicer weather and take part in what the parade has to offer. Enjoy these photos from the day.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.A crowd began to form as early as 9:30 a.m. in preparation for the parade, which started promptly at 10:00 a.m. Residents could be seen walking over from neighborhoods along High Street. Groups formed on the sidewalks - kids with their parents, alongside people with dogs and smaller clusters of friends.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Four riflemen in Revolution-era outfits were stationed at the front of the procession, stopping occasionally to fire off blasts that resonated down the entire street.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Many kids waved to those in the parade, including Westwood police officers who kindly returned the gesture. For many residents, the parade was a perfect chance to get outside with their young kids and celebrate not just Memorial Day, but also the start of the summer months.
Rory Walsh, a Westwood resident who moved to Westwood in 2019 was attending the parade for the first time with his family. "Our kids are old enough now, at five and three to come and enjoy the festivities," he said.
Besides the appeal of bringing his kids out to play and enjoy the candy and festivities, Walsh also attended the parade because of the significance of Memorial Day to him.
“I have family members that serve in the military, and you know, being able to honor those folks and explain to the kids what it's all about is super important,” said Walsh.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Pictured left to right are Massachusetts State Representative Paul McMurtry, Father Matthew Norwood of Saint Joan of Arc Parish, Henry Halpern, Ava Rooney, and Westwood’s Youth Poet Laureate Elizabeth Lowney. Both Rooney and Lowney later spoke at the ceremony in the New Cemetery.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.This year’s Grand Marshal, Westwood’s American Legion Commander Richard Pastor, rolled through the parade in style in this classic convertible. Many veterans made their way down High Street in similar classic vehicles, each adorned by two miniature American flags.
Children rushed to get American flags of their own, waving them through the air as the rest of the parade continued on. Although these days children look forward to candy and flags, the parade used to feature other treats given out at Town Hall after the procession took place—a tradition Roberta McCusker and her daughters Andrea and Kristin fondly remember.
“It's always been fun,” said Andrea, with Kristin and Roberta agreeing. “We marched with brownies and Girl Scouts, and my brother was a Cub Scout. And then we used to go to the Town Hall, and they would have glass bottles, all different colored sodas—like orange, purple, green—and they would give Hoodsies. And that was such the highlight.”
Attendees of the parade since 1972, Roberta, Andrea, and Kristin all agreed that it has always been a family-oriented event, with the kids running around to prove it. Though they no longer live at the same house off of High Street and are no longer looking for activities specifically for kids, the family still makes it to the parade before heading down to the New Cemetery - where Andrea and Kristin's father is buried - to attend the ceremony.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Members of the Aaron Guild Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution rode down High Street in their own cart. Waving a Betsy Ross flag from the back, the members handed out miniature American flags to kids running up to say hello.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Roma Band Boston added a musical flare to the parade, and entertained the crowd with short tunes as a break between the appearances of veterans and scout troops.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Scout troops threw candy to their fellow classmates and friends as they marched down the street in their various sashes. Troop parents accompanied the kids, and received cheers from other parents on the sidelines, recognizing their efforts.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan.Library Director Elizabeth McGovern posed with the Westwood Public Library Bookmobile, the library’s newest way of bringing reading to Westwood residents. McGovern and Assistant Library Director Andy Northrup threw out candy to the mass of kids giddily watching the parade.
Photo by Westwood Minute/Madeleine Mulligan (photo has been enlarged). As the procession came to a close, the last remaining police car continued to hand out candy to all the eager kids in attendance. With hats and pockets filled to the brim with sweet treats, many kids rushed back to their parents in hopes of devouring their sweets even before reaching home.
Madeleine Mulligan is a Westwood Minute intern who attends Boston College, where she is head editor of the arts section for The Heights, the school's independent, student-run newspaper. Thanks to Ms. Mulligan for contributing this photo essay to Westwood Minute.
