The other day, several of us were sitting on a porch in front of one of the old homes on Green Street (yes, the one with the window) waiting for the Tour de Georgia bicycle race to come by, and the question came up: when is the big "Proud To Be An American" parade going to be held on Green Street?
The answer is on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. But the Memorial Day event has grown into something much larger than just a parade, and the questioner's comment about a "proud to be an American" weekend was very appropriate.
How about putting May 25 and 26 on your calendar, marked as the "Proud to be an American" weekend. On Sunday, May 25, the Garden Clubs will dedicate Hall County's first Blue Star Highway marker on the highway in front of Gainesville College.
Then on Monday, May 26, the official Memorial Day holiday, the big parade will move down Green Street from City Park to downtown from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We're talking about military people and military vehicles, veterans, bands, the Shriners ... it's going to be a real old-fashioned patriotic parade..
At one p.m., the Memorial Day program will begin at the Courthouse, and a major monument will be dedicated to those lost in 9-11. A number of national dignitaries have already committed to be present at this event.
Actually, there's a lot more, but let me suggest you go ahead and mark your calendar for May 25-26 as your "Proud to be an American" weekend.
This is Gordon Sawyer, from a window on historic Green Street.
Tuesday
August 5th, 2025
10:34PM
