It is said that “Everyone loves a parade!”

Nothing stirs excitement in kids and grownups like a circus parade, complete with elephants, tigers roaring out from wagons carrying cages, and zany clowns tossing water at the cheering crowds along the route.

Victory parades for winning athletic teams are also very popular with loyal sports fans who have often waited a lifetime for such an event!

But if you’re looking for a parade that captures the essence of small town America, you can find one proudly stepping down Water Avenue on Monday morning, May 26, Memorial Day.

The annual Hillsboro Memorial Day Parade and Program always assures a sense of pride and remembrance in the hearts and minds of proud Patriots who attend the event every year, rain or shine.

Once again, military veterans, firemen, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the High School Marching Band, and others will follow Old Glory down Water Avenue to the Hillsboro Military Memorial on the shore of the lake at Field Veterans Memorial Park.

Attending the solemn ceremony has become a valued tradition for hundreds of citizens who take the time to honor the warriors who have bravely defended the American lifestyle we all cherish, sometimes with their own lives.

The 10:30 a.m. program at the Memorial will feature an address by Roger Matheson, Past State Commander of the American Legion and a member of the American Legion Post at Coon Valley.

He is also the Commissioner of the American Legion State Baseball League and National American Legion Convention Commissioner.

After the speech, the traditional rifle salute, and the playing of “Taps,” take the time to pause and spend a few moments to look across Water Avenue where Mount Vernon Cemetery is filled with American flags signifying the graves of heroes who made the previous hour meaningful.....and possible!

God bless every one of them.

 
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Memorial Day also marks the traditional opening of the Hillsboro Area Historical Society Museum.  It will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. after the ceremony at Field Veterans Memorial Park.

In the future the historic and interesting museum will be open on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The museum also features a number of publications for sale that capture the inspirational history of this area of Wisconsin.

If you haven’t visited the exhibits for a while, you will be pleasantly surprised at the changes.

Also on the property are the popular, historic log cabin, an authentic construction of a one-room school house, and a farm machinery shed complete with tools and machinery used by early farmers in the area.

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At the City Council meeting Monday night, Mayor Greg Kubarski reminded those in attendance that the 100th anniversary of Albert Field Memorial Park, next to the Museum, is quickly approaching. The land for the park was donated to the City of Hillsboro by Field’s daughter, Ella Field, on behalf of the family.

In conjunction with the park’s anniversary, there also will be a dedication of the new disk golf course, that has been constructed with the help of monetary contributions, on the other side of  the park.

Further information on that event will appear in the Sentry-Enterprise.