Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The American Village will honor fallen heroes this Memorial Day with a full day of remembrance, reflection and educational family programming.

The Memorial Day Celebration and Service will take place on Monday, May 26, and admission is free. The event’s theme echoes the American Village’s founding mission to remember the price of liberty, and honor those who have paid it. Visitors will be treated to a meaningful blend of tribute and tradition through ceremonies, reenactments, performances and more.

“On Memorial Day, we specifically remember the fallen—those who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country,” said Melanie Poole, the American Village’s communications officer. “I hope that visitors will come away from this year’s Memorial Day event with a better understanding of what our service men and women sacrificed for us.”

This year’s celebration begins at 7 a.m. with the inaugural Because of the Brave 5K, where runners and walkers carry an American flag in honor of a veteran. Participants are invited to write the name of the person they’re honoring on a commemorative flag that will return year after year. Military reenactors will also run the course in full gear, creating a powerful tribute to those who served.

At 11 a.m., the American Village will then host its Veterans Service in the Colonial Chapel, a solemn event that includes placing flags in a Memorial Day wreath, which will be laid at the nearby National Veterans Shrine. The service will conclude with taps performed on bagpipes.

Throughout the day, visitors of all ages can enjoy historical reenactments, puppet shows, colonial games, military demonstrations and interactive sessions with costumed interpreters portraying figures like Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, John Adams, Thomas Paine and more.

Guests can also explore colonial spy techniques, 18th-century dress, Continental Army medicine and other experiences that bring American history to life. Food trucks and the Merchants’ Coffee House will be available and on-site for refreshments throughout the day.

“All Americans, of every age, need to reconnect with our history—to remember what it means to be an American,” Poole said. “We cannot safeguard what we do not cherish.”

As the U.S. nears the 250th anniversary of its formation, the American Village hopes this Memorial Day serves as a reminder not just of past sacrifices, but of the enduring values at the heart of American liberty.

“American Village must be experienced,” Poole said. “Pictures don’t do it justice. We are more than our historically-inspired buildings. American Village is about building in the hearts and minds of each visitor a love for our country, a respect for those who founded it and fought for our freedoms and an understanding of the stewardship of liberty.”

For more information on the American Village, visit Americanvillage.org.