The Veterans Affairs page on Memorial Day observances is still changing, with listings set to be updated through May 22, 2026, as communities and national cemeteries prepare ceremonies across the country. The department says people who cannot attend in person can still honor fallen service members through the Veterans Legacy Memorial site, which contains stories, decorations and interment locations for more than 10 million Veterans.
VA invited Veterans, their families, caregivers, survivors and the public to attend Memorial Day ceremonies at VA National Cemeteries and in surrounding communities. It also urged visitors to verify event details with the host organization or the National Cemetery because information can change. For people searching is memorial day a federal holiday, the page is being used as a public guide to observances rather than a final, locked schedule.
One listed event was set for May 25, 2026 at 1100 in El Dorado County, where the Veterans Alliance/Friends of the Monument planned to host a Memorial Day ceremony at Monument, 360 Fair Lane, Placerville, California, east of the county admin buildings. The listing reflects the page’s broader role as an official VA resource, meant to steer families to local observances while the calendar is still being filled in.
The update window matters because Memorial Day plans can shift right up to the holiday, and VA says the page will keep changing until May 22, 2026. The department also points people to phone help at 1-800-827-1000 and 1-800-698-2411, and to the Veterans Legacy Memorial site for those paying tribute from home.
That openness comes with friction. The comment thread beneath the listing shows the page drawing both practical requests and blunt criticism. One commenter said, “No one cares about dead veterans. Lets play golf or stuff our face at a BBQ.” Others asked why events overseas were not included, said they could not find Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia, and asked that ceremonies in Fullerton and Ferndale, California, be listed as well. VA’s answer is already built into the page: the list is not final, and event details should be checked again before anyone leaves home.
So the answer to is memorial day a federal holiday is yes, and VA is treating the day as one that will be marked in cemeteries, communities and online tributes through the final days before May 25, 2026.
