Staten Island observes Memorial Day with one of the borough’s oldest and most community-rooted traditions: the annual parade down Forest Avenue, now in its 107th year. Today, thousands of Staten Islanders line the route through West New Brighton and Westerleigh to honor the borough’s fallen service members — a ritual that has outlasted wars, recessions, and every other disruption the 20th and 21st centuries could produce.
The 107th Staten Island Memorial Day Parade
The 107th Staten Island Memorial Day Parade stepped off today at noon, with formation beginning at 10:30 am. This year, the formation lines up along Forest Avenue — a change from prior years when it assembled along Hart Boulevard — at the intersection of Hart Boulevard and Forest Avenue in West New Brighton.
The parade marches down Forest Avenue, ending at Jewett Avenue in West Brighton / Westerleigh / Elm Park. The reviewing stand is positioned in front of Blessed Sacrament Church along the route.
The parade is organized by the United Staten Island Veterans Organization (USIVO), which has coordinated the event for decades. It draws veterans’ groups, civic organizations, school marching bands, fire and police units, and residents from across the North Shore. For Staten Island, this is not a peripheral event — it is the Memorial Day event, and Forest Avenue clears out for it every year without fail.
Staten Island Philharmonic: Music and Memory in Tottenville
Yesterday, Sunday May 24, the Staten Island Philharmonic hosted a free Memorial Day Concert honoring military service members past and present, from 4 to 6 pm at Conference House, 7455 Hylan Boulevard, Tottenville — the southernmost point in New York City. The concert combined classical programming with tributes to those who served, set against the backdrop of Raritan Bay.
Conference House itself is worth knowing: built in 1680, it is one of the oldest surviving manor houses in New York State and was the site of a failed peace conference during the American Revolution in 1776. A free concert honoring military service members, at a building that witnessed the first American peace negotiation — that is a Staten Island only you could find.
Port Richmond’s Banner Celebration Earlier This Month
Earlier in May, Port Richmond held its Banner Celebration at Veterans’ Park, Park Avenue and Bennett Street, honoring local veterans with a display of military service banners in the neighborhood. Port Richmond Strong, the community organization behind the event, has built a consistent tradition of honoring Port Richmond’s veteran community in the weeks around Memorial Day. The banners remain displayed through the holiday.
What Today Means for the North Shore
The Forest Avenue corridor is the heart of the North Shore, and the Memorial Day parade shutting it down is the borough’s annual reminder that some things still take priority over traffic. Staten Island’s veteran population is proportionally one of the highest in New York City, and the parade reflects that — the marching units are dense with people who have actually served, alongside the families of those who did not come back.
If you are on Staten Island today and want to catch the parade, the Staten Island Railway runs to St. George, with S48 and S98 bus connections to the Forest Avenue area. The parade ends at Jewett Avenue, so the middle of the route — around Forest and Broadway — offers a solid viewing spot without the crowding at either end.
What You Need to Know
- 107th Staten Island Memorial Day Parade — formation begins 10:30 am, steps off noon, from Hart Blvd & Forest Ave; marches down Forest Ave ending at Jewett Ave; reviewing stand at Blessed Sacrament Church; organized by USIVO
- Route change this year — formation now lines up along Forest Avenue, not Hart Boulevard as in prior years
- Getting there — Staten Island Railway to St. George; S48 or S98 bus to Forest Ave; street parking along Forest Ave will be restricted during the parade
- Staten Island Philharmonic concert — was held yesterday (Sunday, May 24) at Conference House, 7455 Hylan Blvd, Tottenville; free event honoring veterans
- Beach season open — South and Midland Beach on Staten Island are now open for lifeguarded swimming through Labor Day, September 7, 2026
107 years. Same parade, same borough, same purpose. Staten Island’s Memorial Day tradition is one of the longest unbroken civic ceremonies in New York City, and it continues today down Forest Avenue. If you can get there, go.
Source: GothamBuzz NYC Memorial Day Parades 2026
