Seasonal Guide · Memorial Day 2026
Memorial Day Weekend in Watch Hill & Westerly, RI
A local's three-day guide — from the historic Westerly-Pawcatuck Parade to the beach season's opening day, with where to be when, and a few quieter moments worth seeking out.
If You're Reading This Memorial Day Weekend
The short version: beach opening day was Saturday, the Westerly-Pawcatuck Parade steps off Monday at 9:30 AM from Pawcatuck Shopping Center, and Wilcox Park ceremony starts around 11 AM. Bay Street is open. The beaches are open. Most restaurants are open. The full breakdown is below.
Memorial Day weekend is, for Watch Hill, the moment the town wakes up from winter. The shops on Bay Street roll up their shutters. The carousel starts spinning. The state beach lots fill for the first time since Labor Day. And on Monday morning, a Memorial Day parade that's been running in some form since just after the Civil War moves through the streets of neighboring Pawcatuck and Westerly. Here's how to do the whole weekend right — for the holiday itself, for the history of it, and for what comes after the ceremony.
The Three-Day Schedule
What's happening, when, and where to be for each part of it.
Saturday, May 23
Beach Season Officially Opens
9:00 AM
Misquamicut State Beach opens
All Rhode Island state beaches open for the 2026 season with full amenities — lifeguards, concessions, restrooms, beach staff. Parking is $14 weekdays, $20 weekends for non-residents. Arrive before 10 AM on Memorial Day weekend; the lot fills.
9:00 AM
Watch Hill town beaches open
Misquamicut Fire District's Benson, Clark, and Lawton beaches open for the weekend. Hours: 9 AM to 6 PM. Parking pass required.
All day
Bay Street comes back to life
Most Watch Hill village shops and restaurants are open for the season by Saturday morning. The Flying Horse Carousel typically begins its summer run this weekend. St. Clair Annex is making ice cream again.
Evening
Sunset cocktails on the Ocean House verandah
If you've ever wanted the postcard view of Watch Hill, this is the weekend the verandah service starts. Reservations strongly recommended.
Sunday, May 24
The Quiet Day
Morning
Napatree Point hike
Memorial Day Sunday is one of the best mornings of the year to walk Napatree. The peninsula is technically open year-round, but with summer crowds yet to arrive in earnest, you'll have the bay-side trail mostly to yourself. About 3 miles round-trip; allow 90 minutes.
Midday
Early Memorial Day services
Some smaller veterans' organizations hold informal flag-placing and wreath-laying observances at local cemeteries on Sunday — quieter and more personal than the Monday parade. Check the Westerly Pawcatuck Veterans Board for any updates.
Late afternoon
Watch Hill Lighthouse grounds
The lighthouse museum's summer hours typically begin the Tuesday after Memorial Day, but the grounds themselves are always accessible. The view across Block Island Sound on a clear Sunday in late May is exceptional.
Monday, May 25 — Memorial Day
The Parade
9:30 AM
Westerly-Pawcatuck Memorial Day Parade
One of the oldest continuously held Memorial Day parades in the United States — dating back to the period just after the Civil War. The parade steps off at the Pawcatuck Shopping Center on Pequot Trail in Pawcatuck, CT, crosses the Pawcatuck River bridge into Westerly, RI (it's the rare parade that crosses a state line), and proceeds to Wilcox Park for a closing ceremony at the bandstand. Arrive 30 minutes early for a curb spot.
11:00 AM
Wilcox Park ceremony
The formal Memorial Day ceremony happens at the Wilcox Park bandstand after the parade ends — speeches, taps, and a wreath-laying. Wilcox Park itself is one of the prettiest urban parks in Rhode Island, designed by the Olmsted firm.
1:00 PM
Mystic Memorial Day Parade
Twenty minutes west, Mystic hosts its own parade — historically smaller and more intimate than Westerly's, run by VFW Post 3263. A good option if you'd rather catch an afternoon parade than fight Westerly morning crowds.
Afternoon
First real beach day of the year
By 2 PM, the parade is over and the beaches fill. If you only have time for one Memorial Day activity, this is the move: pay respects in the morning, drive five minutes to the shore in the afternoon. It's the cleanest expression of what the day is actually for.
The Parade · 158 Years and Counting
About the Westerly-Pawcatuck Memorial Day Parade
The parade is the centerpiece of the weekend and the part most worth attending if you only have time for one thing. It traces its roots to the period immediately after the Civil War, when General John Logan formally established Decoration Day in 1868 as a national day of remembrance for the Union dead. Westerly began holding annual observances within the first years of that tradition, and the parade has run more or less continuously ever since.
What makes it unusual: it crosses a state line. The parade begins in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, crosses the Pawcatuck River bridge, and ends in Westerly, Rhode Island. Veterans from both states march together. The parade pauses at the World War I Monument on West Broad Street and again at the bridge itself for moments of silence honoring fallen sailors. It's a small, unglamorous, intensely local kind of tradition — the kind that has largely disappeared from larger American cities.
Where to Eat Over the Weekend
Memorial Day weekend is the year's first real test for local kitchens. These five places handle it well.
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Olympia Tea Room
Bay Street, Watch Hill
Operating since 1916. Memorial Day Monday is the unofficial first day of the summer lunch crowd. Show up at 11:30 AM or wait.
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St. Clair Annex
Bay Street, Watch Hill
Ice cream and grinders. The Memorial Day weekend reopening is a small local ritual. Cash only.
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Bridge Restaurant & Raw Bar
Margin Street, Westerly
Right by the parade route's endpoint at Wilcox Park. Best post-parade lunch in town if you want oysters and a bloody mary.
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Paddy's Beach Restaurant
Misquamicut
The Memorial Day weekend reopening at Paddy's is its own scene — outdoor bar, live music most afternoons, full beach access. Casual, loud, fun.
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Coast at Ocean House
Watch Hill
If you want the polar opposite of Paddy's. White-tablecloth dinner with the ocean view. Reserve well in advance.
If You Need a Last-Minute Room
Where to Stay for Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day weekend is the second-most-booked weekend of the year in Watch Hill, after Fourth of July. By the Tuesday before the weekend, the landmark hotels are usually full. If you're booking last minute, your best bets are typically VRBO and the broader Westerly area.
Most Availability
VRBO Rentals in Westerly
The flexible last-minute option. Beach cottages and condos in Misquamicut and surrounding areas.
Browse rentals →If a Room Opens
Ocean House
Cancellations happen even on holiday weekends. Worth checking — the verandah at sunset is the Memorial Day weekend memory.
Check availability →Best Range of Options
Westerly Hotels
The broader Westerly area still has rooms across price levels. Less charming than Watch Hill, but you'll find something.
Search hotels →Practical Notes
Parking on Monday morning. Wilcox Park area parking fills by 8:30 AM. The smarter move is to park at the Westerly train station lot or along the streets a few blocks east of the park, and walk in. If you're catching the parade at the bridge end, park on the Pawcatuck side off Liberty Street.
Weather. Memorial Day weekend in this part of Rhode Island averages high 60s to low 70s with a real chance of cloud cover. Pack layers. Ocean temperatures are still in the high 50s — the beach is open but the water is honest about the season.
Flag etiquette. Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in military service. The American flag is flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon on Memorial Day, then raised to full-staff for the rest of the day. If you're staying somewhere with a flagpole and planning to participate, that's the convention.
Restaurants. Reservations are essential at Ocean House properties, Olympia Tea Room, and Bridge Restaurant for any weekend dinner. Saturday and Sunday lunch tend to be more flexible. By Tuesday morning everything quiets down again until the next weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Memorial Day parade in Westerly worth attending?
Genuinely yes. The Westerly-Pawcatuck Parade is one of the oldest continuously held Memorial Day parades in the country, dating to the years just after the Civil War. It's also one of the few parades anywhere that crosses a state line — starting in Pawcatuck, Connecticut and ending in Westerly, Rhode Island. It draws a real local crowd, not a tourist one.
Where does the Westerly-Pawcatuck Memorial Day Parade start?
It steps off at 9:30 AM Monday morning from the Pawcatuck Shopping Center at 37 South Broad Street in Pawcatuck, CT. From there it crosses the Pawcatuck River bridge into Westerly and ends with a ceremony at the Wilcox Park bandstand. You can catch it anywhere along the route.
Are Watch Hill beaches open Memorial Day weekend?
Yes. Rhode Island state beaches — including Misquamicut State Beach — open Saturday of Memorial Day weekend with full amenities, lifeguards, and concessions. The Watch Hill town beaches (Benson, Clark, and Lawton, managed by the Misquamicut Fire District) also open that weekend, but require a parking pass.
Is Watch Hill busy on Memorial Day weekend?
Busy by Watch Hill standards, which is still less busy than nearly any comparable East Coast destination. Saturday and Sunday afternoons see the most foot traffic on Bay Street; Monday morning belongs to the parade. The trick is timing — beach in the morning, village in the late afternoon, dinner reservations made well in advance.
Can you swim at the beach on Memorial Day in Rhode Island?
You can — but the water is cold. Ocean temperatures in late May typically run 55–60°F. Lifeguards are on duty starting Saturday, and the beach is fully operational, but most locals wait until mid-June for genuine swim weather. Wading and beach time are great; full ocean swimming takes commitment.
What time should I arrive for the Westerly Memorial Day Parade?
Be in position by 9:00 AM for the 9:30 AM step-off. Curb spots along Broad Street fill quickly. If you want to be at Wilcox Park for the closing ceremony around 11 AM, plan to walk in rather than drive — Westerly's small downtown gets congested.