GRAFTON, W.Va. — A Memorial Day tradition in Grafton is set to take place Monday.
The 159th annual West Virginia Memorial Day Parade begins at 10:00 a.m. in downtown Grafton.
Parade Printed Program Committee member Nicki Skinner said the parade is a time-honored tradition.
“It’s awesome that we are able to have that honor,” said Skinner. “We have the West Virginia National Cemetery out in Pruntytown and the Grafton National Cemetery over on Walnut Street, there’s a long story to history when it comes to military heritage here.”
According to Skinner, more than 170 organizations and local community members are participating this year. The line-up will take place at Grafton High School. The parade ends at the Grafton National Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day Service that will take place at 1 p.m.
Skinner said the parade is always well-attended. She said state Adjutant General Jim Seward, state Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt and other elected officials will be there. She said they will be joined by generations of veterans from across five decades worth of foreign wars who will pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and are buried at the Grafton National Cemetery.
The parade has taken place since the 1860s as part of the longest continuous running Memorial Day commemorations in the country. Skinner said the legislature officially designated the parade as the Official Memorial Day Parade of West Virginia back in 2016.
“There’s a long story to history, and I think it’s absolutely wonderful that we’re able to kind of hold that designation and bring some attention to that,” Skinner said.