Memorial Day in Lakeland 2027: ceremonies, closures and trash

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. 2027 ceremonies had not been announced; the details below are from 2026 and say so. Sources: the City of Lakeland’s holiday closures, solid waste holiday schedule, Veterans Memorial Park and pools pages; the Polk County Veterans Council; LkldNow’s 2026 listing; and race pages on RunSignup.

Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. Lakeland marks it with two tributes, one at Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Beulah and one at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens on Bartow Highway, both held with the Polk County Veterans Council. City Hall is closed, Monday and Tuesday trash routes shift a day, and the city’s outdoor pool opens for the summer that weekend.

Who to call

• City Hall: 863-834-6000 (closed May 31)
• City aquatics: Gandy Pool 863-834-3157; Simpson Park Pool 863-834-2286
• Polk County Veterans Council: polkveteranscouncil.com

Ceremonies: what ran in 2026

• Memorial Day Program, 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Park, Lake Beulah Drive. The NAACP Lakeland Branch 5108 held its sixth annual program with the Polk County Veterans Council, LkldNow reported.
• Memorial Day Tribute, 10 a.m. Monday, May 25, 2026, at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 2125 Bartow Highway, with the Polk County Veterans Council. Guests were invited to bring a photo of a loved one who served, and a free lunch followed. About 200 people attended the 15th annual tribute in 2023, LkldNow reported.

Both are annual events; we will add the 2027 dates when the organizers post them.

Veterans Memorial Park

The city’s Veterans Memorial Park, first known as Bicentennial Park, sits on Lake Beulah with monuments from many periods of American history linked by a walking path. The Polk County Veterans Council helped expand it around the turn of the century. It is open daily from dawn to dusk.

Runs

• Memorial Day 5K/10K/15K. In 2026 it started at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, from Dr. Thomas B. Mack Park on Lake Hollingsworth, with Florida Giant Dog Rescue as the charity partner and a virtual option, its race page shows.
• Lakeland Police Foundation Fallen Heroes Memorial 5K. The 10th annual run was May 16, 2026, from 3620 Cleveland Heights Blvd., on RunSignup.

What is open and closed

The solid waste holiday schedule has the details; see also our trash and recycling page.

Pools open for summer

Simpson Park Pool, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., is the city’s unheated seasonal pool and opens on Memorial Day weekend, the city says. Gandy Pool at the Kelly Recreation Complex, 404 Imperial Blvd., is heated and open year-round. Summer hours, camps and splash pads are on our summer page.

What this means for you

• Put Monday or Tuesday trash out a day late that week.
• Want to attend a tribute? Watch the Polk County Veterans Council’s site in May.
• Florida’s hurricane season starts the next day, June 1; see our power outages guide.

Related: summer camps and pools, Fourth of July fireworks and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When is Memorial Day 2027?

Monday, May 31, 2027, the last Monday in May.

Is trash picked up on Memorial Day in Lakeland?

Monday customers are collected Tuesday, June 1, and Tuesday customers on Wednesday, June 2, 2027. Thursday and Friday routes do not change.

Where is the Memorial Day ceremony in Lakeland?

In 2026 there were two: a program by the NAACP Lakeland Branch and the Polk County Veterans Council at Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Beulah the Saturday before, and a tribute at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 2125 Bartow Highway, at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day.

When does Simpson Park Pool open?

The city’s Simpson Park Pool, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., is unheated and opens for the summer on Memorial Day weekend. Gandy Pool is heated and open all year.