Hazel Park

City to again honor vets with five-day festival

By Brian Louwers
C & G Staff Writer

Photo by Brian C. Louwers Hazel Park’s annual Memorial Day parade will travel along John R on May 25, past the city’s monuments to its veterans. The parade will conclude with a solemn ceremony at Green Acres Park, on Woodward Heights.

HAZEL PARK — For decades, the city of Hazel Park has honored veterans with a Memorial Day parade. Years ago, the event grew into a five-day festival at Green Acres Park.

This year’s festivities are set to begin on May 21, with a carnival put on by a new vendor and a talent show at the park, on Woodward Heights, west of I-75.

“It’s to honor our veterans,” said Barbara Scott, recreation supervisor with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “I’ve lived in the city for over 40 years, and I can remember going down to John R and watching the parade. About 1985 is when we started the festival there in the park. It just kind of grew from there.”

Other festivities slated for the long holiday weekend this year include bingo on Friday night; a craft show on Saturday, Sunday and Monday; and a Texas hold ‘em tournament on Saturday and Sunday, sponsored by the Hazel Park Raiders.

“Monday is our huge day. We have a car show. We have our parade. We have our barnyard express to chauffer the kids. We have a little bit of everything on Monday,” Scott said. “The entire weekend is honoring our veterans. That’s kind of how it all started.”

The Hazel Park Lions will host a beer tent all weekend long (Friday through Monday), with free entertainment.

Scott said the festival’s organizing committee begins meeting in late fall each year to plan the Memorial Day festival, attended by thousands each spring.

“It could never be done without our Memorial Day weekend committee. It’s a dedicated group of volunteers,” Scott said. “We get together starting in November, brainstorming.”

Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher said the festival has grown in the community over the years.

“In the late 1980s, we added the large festival,” Klobucher said. “It’s a very large community festival that goes over the weekend.”

Larry Burleson, a retired U.S. Navy veteran and a member of the Hazel Park Lions, said members of the U.S. Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment would take part in the parade in honor of veterans. The group represents the unit of Pfc. John Dearing, of Hazel Park, who was killed in Iraq in 2005.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Brian Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1089.