Hillsborough Plans Memorial Day Parade, Breakfast

Hillsborough is lining up its 2026 Memorial Day observance for Saturday, May 23, with a veterans breakfast, parade and Garden of Honor ceremony. (patch.com) The township’s schedule starts with a complimentary Salute to Military Service Breakfast for veterans and active-duty personnel, followed by a 10 a.m. parade and a commemoration program. Registration for the breakfast is required through Hillsborough Parks and Recreation or by phone at 908-369-4832. (patch.com) Mayor Catherine Payne announced on March 24 that Hillsborough Police Cpl. Frank Polizzi, an Army veteran who served from 2011 to 2019 and reached the rank of sergeant, will serve as grand marshal. (tapinto.net) The event is part of a long-running township program that pairs a public parade with a formal remembrance at the Garden of Honor. Hillsborough said the community has held the annual breakfast, parade and commemoration program for 18 years. (hillsborough-nj.org) Recent Hillsborough parades have included veterans, the Hillsborough High School Marching Band, youth groups, antique cars, military vehicles and fire trucks. The 2025 parade followed a route from the corner of Auten and New Amwell roads to Beekman Lane and the Municipal Complex. (patch.com) Township notices for earlier years show the event has kept the same basic format: breakfast first, parade second, ceremony last, with a rain date used for the outdoor portions when needed. In 2023, Hillsborough listed Sunday, May 28, as the rain date for the parade and Garden of Honor ceremony. (hillsborough-nj.org) The township has also used the annual ceremony to spotlight local service members as grand marshals. In 2024, Mayor Robert Britting Jr. named Army veteran and Hillsborough resident Meghann Valeo to lead the Memorial Day commemoration. (hillsborough-nj.org) For 2026, Hillsborough is sticking with that formula: a local veteran at the front of the parade, military families at the breakfast tables, and a Memorial Day program built around the township’s Garden of Honor. (tapinto.net)