Memorial Day Weekend 2019

Citizens who paid the ultimate price will be honored at annual Memorial Day ceremonies in West Orange County and Central Florida. Each will have retired military personnel speak during the program.

GOTHA

WOODLAWN MEMORIAL PARK CEREMONY

9 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha. The community is invited to join Woodlawn for its program in front of the mosaic wall in the memorial gardens.

HAMLIN

MEMORIAL DAY BBQ COOK-OFF

4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at 14111 Shoreside Way, Winter Garden. Enjoy a day of fellowship and entertainment and a barbecue cook-off.

Tickets are as follows: $10 general admission (ages 21 and older) includes entry and one drink ticket; $25 for the VIP package, including entry, two drink tickets and a designated area with covered seating, a private bar and outdoor restrooms; and $5 for ages (13-20) which includes entry to the event and access to the kids zone and active zone. Children 12 and younger are free. Adults showing a military I.D. will receive a free drink token.

Tickets are available at bit.ly/HamlinBBQ.

MAITLAND

MEMORIAL DAY EXTRAVAGANZA

1 to 11 p.m. Monday, May 27, at Maitland Community Park, 1400 Mayo Ave., Maitland. Guests at this annual event can enjoy food and fellowship, karaoke and dancing, door prizes, and games.

Admission is $10 to cover the cost of the venue, entertainment, food and drinks. Participants are asked to take a side dish to share.

ORANGE COUNTY

WAR MEMORIAL COMMEMORATION CEREMONY

10 a.m. Monday, May 27, Jury Room of the Orange County Courthouse, 425 N. Orange Ave., Orlando. Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and the Orange County Mayor's Veterans Advisory Council invite residents to the ceremony, which honors members of the Armed Forces enlisted in Orange County who ultimately sacrificed their lives while serving their country.

Visit orangecountyfl.net to RSVP.

WINTER GARDEN

MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM

8:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Veterans Memorial Park, 420 S. Park Ave. The community is invited to attend and enjoy the ceremony, as well as coffee and doughnuts. Kurt Gies, American Legion commander, is the master of ceremonies. The guest speaker is retired Air Force Col. Wayne Mendez, a combat veteran with more than 33 years of service, including eight enlisted.

At his retirement, he was deputy director of logistics and Command Competition advocate for Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

The ceremony also will include patriotic music, a roll call and placement of wreaths at the veterans memorial and taps.

WINTER PARK

GLEN HAVEN MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE

11 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Glen Haven Memorial Park, 2300 Temple Drive, Winter Park. Bud Hedinger is master of ceremonies of this traditional ceremony, and guest speaker is Allie L. Braswell Jr., civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army and former Marine. There will be a patriotic musical salute with Charles Haugabrooks and VFW Post 2093 Community Band, veterans posts, scouts and more. Special veterans in attendance will be two decorated World War II combat airmen who flew over the beaches on D-Day: Maj. Jack Hallett in a P-38 fighter and Chief Master Sgt. Mel Jenner, of Ocoee, as photo recon with 31 missions in a B-17 bomber. (407) 647-1100.