The National Park Service will be hosting events at Vicksburg National Military Park in observance of Memorial Day.

Festivities begin on May 27 with the Memorial Day Flag Placement Event. Registration for the event will be at 7:30 a.m., and flag placement will take place from 8 a.m. to noon.

Located within Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg National Cemetery is the final resting place for over 18,000 U.S. Veterans — 17,000 of those being Union Civil War soldiers — a number unmatched by any other National Cemetery. Every year on the Friday before Memorial Day, a United States flag is placed at each individual grave in remembrance of the sacrifice so many have made for their country.

“We’re very excited to be able to have volunteers assist us in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and whose final resting place is the Vicksburg National Military Park,” said Brendan Wilson, Chief of Interpretation, Education and Partnerships at the park. “It’s exciting to have folks of all ages, and from all over, who come to the Vicksburg National Military Park to honor our fallen service members.”

Volunteers can register online via the following link:  https://forms.office.com/g/GYmtyj04Jw

For more information on volunteering, please contact Taylor Hegler; taylor_hegler@nps.gov; (601) 636-0583 ext. 2969.

Symphony at Sunset

Another Vicksburg Memorial Day tradition returns on May 28 as the Military Park partners with the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, Four Seasons of the Arts and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (MSO) to provide an outdoor pops concert on the grounds of the park free of charge.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the community to observe Memorial Day with friends and family, through the power of music,” Wilson said.

Bess Averett, Director of Friends of the Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, said attendees at the concert are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as seating is not provided.

“We’ve been partnering with the park and Four Seasons of the Arts since 2013 to provide this event on Memorial Day Weekend for the public,” Averett said. “It’s a great opportunity for families and friends to get together and honor the holiday on hallowed ground.”

The concert will be on Saturday, May 28, at 7 p.m. in front of the Vicksburg NMP Visitor Center at 3201 Clay St.

Tickets and registration are not required to attend the concert.

For more information, call the park at 601 636-0538.