Quick answer: Memorial Day 2026 is Monday, May 25. The closest VA national cemetery to Naval Station Everett is Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, which holds its annual Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony at 1 p.m. that Monday at the Main Flag Pole Assembly Area. Closer to home, Snohomish County’s Eternal Flame at the County Courthouse (3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett) is the central county-level remembrance site, and Lake Stevens American Legion Post 181, Floral Hills in Lynnwood, and Evergreen Cemetery in Everett all host community services that morning.
If you’ve just PCS’d to Naval Station Everett, retired in Snohomish County, or moved here to support a sailor or soldier in the family, Memorial Day is one of the days the local military community is easiest to find. The bases are quieter than Navy Birthday or Veterans Day, but the cemeteries and memorials are full — and the people who run those services are the same people who run the volunteer drivers at the VA, the American Legion posts, the VFWs, and the spouse networks the rest of the year.
This is a practical 2026 guide to where to go, when, and what to expect — written for the family that wants to do the day right and meet a few of the people who’d be good to know once the parade ends.
Why this matters for the Everett military community
Snohomish County is home to roughly 52,000 veterans — about one in eleven county residents — plus the active-duty population at Naval Station Everett, the five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers homeported there (USS Momsen, USS Kidd, USS Gridley, USS Sampson, USS Ralph Johnson), and several thousand military family members spread across Mukilteo, Marysville, Lake Stevens, and the unincorporated edges of the county.
Memorial Day is the day that community shows up in one place. Active-duty sailors stand color guard at services. Vietnam-era VFW members read the names. Gold Star families lay wreaths. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts plant flags at headstones the Saturday before. Local mayors give the speeches that don’t make the regional news but matter enormously to the families in the front rows.
For a military family that’s two months into a Naval Station Everett tour, going to one of these services is often the fastest way to meet the people who’ll be at every PCS hello-and-goodbye for the next three years. (For more on what life looks like at NAVSTA Everett right now, see our guide to the FF(X) frigate decision and what it means for PCS plans, school choices, and the next decade for Navy families based in Everett.)
The closest VA national cemetery: Tahoma in Kent
Tahoma National Cemetery at 18600 SE 240th St., Kent, is the federally-administered national cemetery serving the Puget Sound region — the burial ground operated by the National Cemetery Administration under the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the closest VA national cemetery to Naval Station Everett.
The drive from NAVSTA Everett to Tahoma is roughly 50 minutes south on I-5 in Memorial Day morning traffic, longer if you leave after 11 a.m.
The 2026 ceremony: Memorial Day Commemorative Ceremony, Monday, May 25, 2026, 1 p.m., at the Main Flag Pole Assembly Area. The program follows the standard Tahoma format — wreath-laying, rifle volley, and Taps, with remarks from local civic leaders and retired military officers. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Practical notes for first-time visitors:
- Arrive by 12:15 p.m. Parking inside the cemetery fills early. Once the lots are full, staff direct cars to overflow parking with shuttle service.
- Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. The assembly area is exposed and seating is minimal — most attendees stand.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes. Even from the closest lots, the walk to the flag pole is several hundred yards on uneven ground.
- The cemetery hosts a “Run to Tahoma” community event the same morning organized through the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board for those who want a longer-distance commemoration before the 1 p.m. service.
For sailors, families, or veterans who want the most formal Memorial Day service in the region — full military honors, full federal protocol — Tahoma is the answer.
The county-level service: Snohomish County Eternal Flame
The Snohomish County Eternal Flame sits in front of the Robert J. Drewel Building at the County Courthouse complex, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. It is the county’s central memorial to its veterans and the most accessible Memorial Day stop for anyone living in central or downtown Everett.
Snohomish County typically holds an 11 a.m. Veterans Day service at the Eternal Flame in November, and the same site hosts informal Memorial Day gatherings — wreath placements, individual remembrances, and small ceremonies coordinated by local VFW and American Legion posts — throughout the morning of the holiday. Families with school-age kids who want to keep the day local often come here first, then move to one of the cemetery services.
The Drewel Building is also where the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) office is located — the county-funded program that helps veterans and their families with rent, utilities, prescriptions, transportation, and emergency needs. Most county veterans don’t know the program exists. Memorial Day is a quiet, low-pressure day to walk past the office, see the staff, and pick up the contact card. (For a deeper look at how the county program fits with the federal VA system, see our complete 2026 guide to getting VA claims help in Snohomish County.)
The community services in Snohomish County
Multiple community services across the county happen Memorial Day morning. These are the longest-running and most reliable for 2026.
Lake Stevens American Legion Post 181
Post 181 traditionally hosts two Memorial Day services on Monday morning:
- 10 a.m. at the Lake Stevens War Veterans Memorial flag display, 1808 Main St., Lake Stevens
- Noon at the Machias Cemetery, 1201 Silva St., Snohomish
The Lake Stevens services are short, family-friendly, and are some of the only regularly attended community services east of I-5 in the county. Post 181 has been doing this for decades.
Floral Hills in Lynnwood
The Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills annual Memorial Day program at 409 Filbert Rd., Lynnwood typically runs:
- 10:30 a.m. band concert
- 11 a.m. ceremony
Floral Hills is the largest cemetery in southwest Snohomish County and the regular Memorial Day stop for families based out of Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, and the south end of the county. Programs are listed annually on the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) calendar.
Evergreen Cemetery in Everett
Evergreen Cemetery, 4505 Broadway, Everett is the historic in-city cemetery — the burial ground for many of Everett’s earliest civic leaders and Civil War-era veterans. The site has hosted Memorial Day commemorations going back more than a century. For 2026 program times, the Everett Public Library and the city’s Parks and Recreation calendar typically post details in the two weeks before the holiday.
For veterans buried at Evergreen, families typically come the Sunday afternoon or Monday morning before the larger county services to place flowers and flags individually.
What to do the rest of the weekend
Memorial Day weekend is three full days in 2026 — Saturday May 23 through Monday May 25. A practical Snohomish County itinerary for a military family looks like:
Saturday morning — Flag-placement events. Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs, and Civil Air Patrol cadets across the county place small American flags on veteran headstones. Tahoma National Cemetery, Floral Hills, Cypress Lawn (1615 SE Everett Mall Way), and Evergreen all get flags this weekend. Showing up to help is a fast way to meet the local Scouting and youth-veterans community.
Sunday — Quiet day. Many Snohomish County churches incorporate Memorial Day remembrances into their Sunday services. The American Legion and VFW posts are typically open in the afternoon.
Monday — The day itself. Tahoma at 1 p.m. for the most formal service. Lake Stevens, Floral Hills, or Evergreen in the morning if you want a community-scale event.
Monday afternoon — Most VFW and American Legion halls in the county host open houses, family-friendly gatherings, or potlucks after the morning services. VFW Post 2100 in downtown Everett (Suite 101 of the Vet Center building) and American Legion Post 6 in Snohomish are the two most active in central county. (The Vet Center building also houses the VFW Service Officer who handles VA claims help — making the Suite 101 location worth knowing year-round.)
If you can’t make a service
A practical alternative for sailors who can’t get away from the base, or family members who can’t make a public service:
- Place a wreath at the Snohomish County Eternal Flame any time on Monday. The site is unstaffed and unrestricted.
- Make a contribution to a service organization — the USO Northwest, the Snohomish County VAP, or a county VSO — in lieu of attendance.
- Read the names of the Snohomish County service members who’ve died in service since 9/11 at the Centennial Trail memorial at Haller Bridge in Arlington. The kiosk includes interpretive panels for each name.
Resources for military families new to the area
Three numbers and links worth keeping for any military family doing their first Memorial Day in Snohomish County:
- Naval Station Everett Fleet & Family Support Center: 425-304-3735 — for any deployment-related question, family event, or community resource referral.
- Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program (VAP): snohomishcountywa.gov/veterans — for emergency assistance, transportation, or VSO referral.
- Tahoma National Cemetery: cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/tahoma.asp — for burial eligibility, memorial benefits, and event schedule.
For anyone arriving on PCS orders this spring or summer, the practical follow-on after Memorial Day is the Fleet & Family Support Center’s resource intake — the same office that runs the spouse employment programs and the deployment family support groups. Memorial Day is when you meet the community. The week after is when the FFSC plugs you into it. (See our deep dive on how NAVSTA Everett supports Navy kids and families through the FFSC and the school liaison office.)
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is Memorial Day 2026?
Memorial Day 2026 is Monday, May 25. It is the last Monday of May, as set by the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
Is there a VA national cemetery in Everett?
No. The closest VA national cemetery to Naval Station Everett is Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, about 50 minutes south on I-5. Tahoma is the only VA national cemetery in the Puget Sound region.
Is Tahoma National Cemetery’s Memorial Day ceremony open to the public?
Yes. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Plan to arrive by 12:15 p.m. Monday May 25, 2026 because parking inside the cemetery fills early and overflow parking requires a shuttle.
Where is the Snohomish County Eternal Flame?
The Eternal Flame is at the Snohomish County Courthouse / Robert J. Drewel Building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. It is the county’s central veterans memorial and is accessible 24 hours a day.
Are the Memorial Day services in Snohomish County family-friendly?
Yes. The Lake Stevens services at the War Veterans Memorial and Machias Cemetery, and the Floral Hills program in Lynnwood, are designed for family attendance with short program lengths, seating, and accessible venues. Tahoma’s main service is longer and more formal but is still family-friendly with adequate planning.
How can a Naval Station Everett family find local Memorial Day events the week before?
Two reliable sources: the Naval Station Everett Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735, and the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs event calendar at dva.wa.gov. The HeraldNet and MyEverettNews local outlets also publish Memorial Day round-ups in the days before the holiday.
Where can I get help with a VA claim related to a service member I’m honoring on Memorial Day?
The Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at the Drewel Building is the closest in-person resource for VA claims help in the county, alongside the VFW Service Officer at the Vet Center building Suite 101 and the monthly Veterans Benefits Administration field visits to the Everett Vet Center. (See our prior coverage on VA claims help options after the 2026 Vet Center schedule change for the full breakdown.)
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