The Memorial Day weekend will get underway with Friday’s annual Elyria High School Pioneer Marching Band Appreciation gala on Ely Square.

The community concert will take place near the old courthouse. The junior varsity band will perform at 5:30 p.m. followed at 7 p.m. by the marching band. Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the show.

The night will be complete with the yearly tradition of passing the baton to the incoming drum major.

On Monday, and government offices and some businesses will close in honor of Memorial Day. Trash pickup will be delayed by a day. Here is a list of community events:AMHERST

Lineup for the annual Memorial Day parade will be 9 a.m. on Washington Street. The parade will step off at 10 a.m.

AVON

The annual parade will be 9 a.m. Monday starting at 36786 Detroit Road and marching to the cemetery at Detroit Road and state Route 83.

AVON LAKE

There will be a ceremony at Veterans Park on Lake Road and state Route 83 at 9 a.m. followed by a parade starting at Blesser Park that will travel around Glenview and back. Across from the park, there will be a plant sale at the Avon-on-Lake garden 8 a.m. to noon. After the parade, a second ceremony will be at Veterans Memorial Park.

BROWNHELM TOWNSHIP

The annual Memorial parade and service is Sunday. The parade begins 1:30 p.m. at North Ridge and South Claus roads. A group will march to Brownhelm Cemetery about 1:45 p.m. with old cars, tractors and decorated bikes. A 2 p.m. service at the cemetery will be conducted by Amherst American Legion Post 118. The public is asked to bring lawn chairs for the service. Call 988-4550 for more information.

COLUMBIA STATION

Columbia Station’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9340 will hold traditional services to honor those who have served in the United States military. The parade will step off at 11 a.m. Monday from the Columbia Middle School driveway and proceed to the cemetery. After the service, the parade will continue to the Veterans Memorial Monument on state Route 82. After the ceremony, Charlie and Mark Hyatt will serve ribs for a fee to support “Home for Heroes.”

EATON TOWNSHIP

Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at the Butternut Ridge Road cemetery at the corner of Butternut Ridge and Durkee roads, where the names of all deceased soldiers from the area will be read.

ELYRIA

Lorain National Bank is sponsoring Main Street Elyria’s annual Memorial Day pancake breakfast 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday at St. Andrews Church. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for kids and parade participants in uniform.

There will be an 8 a.m. ceremony in Ely Square followed by the parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. from Court Street and travel down Broad Street to Washington Avenue. It then turns on Harrison Street and will end at Ridgelawn Cemetery.

GRAFTON

Grafton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3341 will host the annual Memorial Day parade. The parade will step off at noon Monday. Lineup is 11 a.m. at Grafton Police Station on Mechanic Street. For more information, call the post at (440) 926-3341.

In addition, Grafton also will host the annual Firemen’s Festival on Friday to Monday at Willow Park. There will be games, rides, dancing, bingo and carnival food. There will also be entertainment. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, call (440) 926-2075 or visit the Facebook page at Grafton Village Firemen’s Festival.

GRAFTON TOWNSHIP

The Belden Memorial Day parade will begin 10 a.m. Monday at the Grafton Township Fire Department on state Route 83, just south of the state Route 303 intersection. There will be a short ceremony at the fire hall. The parade will continue to Belden Cemetery, with a brief ceremony, and the Rev. Delaine McGhee, pastor of Grafton United Methodist Church, delivering a message. Refreshments to follow.

KIPTON

The Kipton, Camden and Henrietta townships Memorial Day parade and program will take place Sunday in Kipton. Lineup for the parade takes place at 1:30 p.m., with the parade starting at 2 p.m. The program will follow at 2:30 p.m. For information, call Delores Whitney at (440) 775-3944.

LAGRANGE

The annual Memorial Day parade will be 11 a.m. Monday. The lineup for the parade will be at the Keystone Elementary School and continue to the Veterans Monument on the square. The march will continue to Veterans Park. Speaker for the service will be Tom Sweeny.

LORAIN

A memorial will be at the Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway, at 2 p.m. Sunday. Ceremonies will be at Elmwood Cemetery, 640 North Ridge Road, at 8:30 a.m. Monday. For more information, call Roger Johnson at (440) 288-2021. The annual Memorial Day parade begins at Broadway and West 21st Street. The parade assembles at 10 a.m. Monday and begins at 11 a.m. For more information, call Steve Bansek at (440) 282-2790.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE

The North Ridgeville Lions Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9871 will sponsor the city’s annual Memorial Day parade slated to step off at 9:45 a.m. from the Marc’s parking lot on Center Ridge Road. The parade moves west to Ranger Stadium for a brief ceremony at 10:30 a.m. featuring remarks by local dignitaries, and awards for parade participants.

SHEFFIELD

A service will be 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Garfield Cemetery, 4820 Detroit Road. The event is being held by Sheffield Lake AMVETS Post 55.

SOUTH AMHERST

The village’s Memorial Day Parade is Monday. Units will assemble at 9:30 a.m. and step off at 10 a.m. on Kenwood Street. The parade will end with ceremonies at the cemetery.

VERMILION

At 2 p.m. Sunday, veterans will meet at Volunteer Bay for services, and then travel to Brown’s Lake Road cemetery, east of Vermilion on U.S. Route 6 for 3:30 p.m. services to honor Revolutionary War veteran Bildad Belden. Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Sunday, guests are asked to meet at the memorial at Vermilion High School for services for 26 veterans who were killed in action.

On Monday, guests are welcome to meet at 7 a.m. at the American Legion for coffee and doughnuts before moving at 8 a.m. to Exchange Park to raise and lower the flag to half staff and place a wreath. At 9 a.m., the group will move to Maple Grove Cemetery to raise and lower the flag and place a wreath with a memorial address. At 10 a.m., the group will gather at Ferry Street for the parade followed by an 11 a.m. memorial service at Victory Park featuring C. Michael Levelle, a U.S. Navy veteran, as the guest speaker. There’s also a parade in Vermilion at 10:30 a.m. starting at Main and Liberty streets. It will march down to Victory Park.