Memorial Day in Pensacola 2027: ceremony, closings, trash

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation and the City of Pensacola; dates marked 2026 are last year’s and are shown so you know what to expect.

Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. Pensacola, home of Naval Air Station Pensacola, marks it at Veterans Memorial Park on the bayfront, where the park’s foundation holds a public ceremony every year on the Sunday before. The holiday weekend also opens the city’s summer pool season.

Who to call

• Veterans Memorial Park Foundation: info@veteransmpf.org, 200 S. 10th Ave.
• City Sanitation: 850-435-1890
• Cecil T. Hunter Pool: 850-436-5197
• City services: 311 or 850-436-5555

The ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park

The Veterans Memorial Park Foundation holds its Memorial Day ceremony on site every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day. It usually includes the presentation of the colors, the national anthem and other patriotic music by local groups, and is open to the public. The park, at 200 S. 10th Ave. on the downtown bayfront, is home to the Wall South, a permanent replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

• 2026: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 24, according to the foundation’s 2026 event page.
• 2027: the Sunday before Memorial Day is May 30. The foundation posts the time and program on its events page and Facebook closer to the date.

Veterans Memorial Park is one of five city parks open until 10 p.m., so families can visit the memorials in the evening too. See our parks and trails guide.

Trash pickup changes

For Memorial Day 2026, the city’s holiday collection schedule shifted the early-week routes:

The 2027 schedule had not been posted as of Oct. 10; check the city’s holiday collection page in May or call 850-435-1890.

What is open and closed

• City of Pensacola offices: closed; Memorial Day is a city holiday.
• Federal offices and post offices: closed on the federal holiday.
• Pools: the city’s Cecil T. Hunter Pool, 200 E. Blount St., opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend. In 2026 it held one open swim session on Memorial Day, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to its facility page. Schedules for each season are announced in May.
• Splash pads: Legion Field’s splash pad is typically open daily from mid-March through October.

More on pools and camps is in our summer camps and pools guide.

On the water

Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year on Pensacola Beach and Pensacola Bay. Check beach flag warnings and the National Weather Service in Mobile before you go, and see our hurricane prep guide as the season starts June 1.

What this means for you

• The ceremony is Sunday, not Monday; plan for May 30, 2027.
• Put your carts out a day late if you are on a Monday or Tuesday route.
• Pool season starts that weekend; check the city’s May schedule announcement.

Related: summer camps and pools, Father’s Day in Pensacola, Labor Day in Pensacola and trash and recycling.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Memorial Day ceremony in Pensacola?

The Veterans Memorial Park Foundation holds its Memorial Day ceremony at the park every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day. In 2026 it was at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 24; in 2027 that Sunday is May 30, and the time has not been announced.

Is Pensacola trash pickup changed for Memorial Day?

In 2026 the city moved Monday routes to Tuesday and Tuesday routes to Wednesday for Memorial Day; Thursday and Friday routes did not change. The 2027 schedule had not been posted as of Oct. 10.

When do Pensacola pools open for the summer?

The city’s Cecil T. Hunter Pool opens Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day weekend. In 2026 it held one open swim session, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Memorial Day itself.

Are Pensacola city offices closed on Memorial Day?

Yes. Memorial Day is a City of Pensacola holiday, and it is a federal holiday, so post offices are closed too.