Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. Flags at Fairview Cemetery's Veterans Memorial Plaza, the city pool's opening weekend, closings and trash pickup.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. This page is updated each year; it is set up for Memorial Day 2027. Ceremony times are added when organizers post them. Facts come from the City of Bowling Green and each venue’s own page; where only 2026 hours are known, we say so.

Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. In Bowling Green the day centers on Fairview Cemetery, where the American Legion places flags on the graves of veterans every Memorial Day. The long weekend is also the start of summer: the city pool opens and Beech Bend’s Splash Lagoon water park is running.

What this means for you

  • Trash: Scott Waste Services, 270-783-4016, or the WasteConnect+ app for holiday changes.
  • City pool: opens Memorial Day weekend. Russell Sims Aquatic Center, 270-393-3271.
  • Emergencies: 911. Bowling Green Police non-emergency: 270-393-4000.

Honoring the fallen: Fairview Cemetery

The city-owned Veterans Memorial Plaza at Fairview Cemetery, dedicated in May 2003, holds graves donated to honorably discharged veterans, a fountain, benches and several memorials, according to Bowling Green Parks and Recreation:

  • A replica of the Eiffel Tower, moved from Fountain Square Park to Fairview in 1979, above a monument from American Legion Post 23 naming 13 World War I, 82 World War II, eight Korean War and 22 Vietnam War soldiers from Warren County who died in service.
  • The Blue Star Memorial By-Ways marker, a monument from the Bowling Green-Warren County Jaycees and a Gold Star Mothers memorial.
  • Every Memorial Day, the American Legion places flags on the gravesites of men and women who served in the armed forces.

The cemetery’s veterans sections are at 1209 Fairview Ave. The cemetery office is 270-393-3607. A public ceremony time for 2027 had not been announced as of Oct. 16; we will add it here.

Aviation Heritage Park, which displays restored military aircraft flown by pilots with ties to south central Kentucky, is another place the visitors bureau suggests for the holiday weekend (listing).

What is open and closed

  • Post offices and banks: closed; Memorial Day is a federal holiday.
  • City offices: the city had not posted 2027 holiday closings as of Oct. 16; check the city’s announcements.
  • Trash pickup: check the WasteConnect+ app or Scott Waste’s pickup schedule page; 270-783-4016.

Summer starts: the long weekend

  • Russell Sims Aquatic Center, Preston Miller Park, 2303 Tomblinson Way: the city pool opens on Memorial Day weekend. In 2026 opening day was Monday, May 25, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (city calendar). It has a 50-meter pool, two water slides, two diving boards, zero-depth entry and a splash playground (aquatics page).
  • Beech Bend Park and Splash Lagoon, 798 Beech Bend Road: on Memorial Day weekend 2026, May 23-25, the park ran 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Splash Lagoon 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to its 2026 operating calendar.
  • Lost River Cave, 2818 Nashville Road: boat tours and trails (tours page).

Pool hours, camps and splash pads for the season are on our summer camps and pools page.

Frequently asked questions

When is Memorial Day 2027?

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

Where are Memorial Day flags placed in Bowling Green?

The American Legion places flags on veterans’ graves at Fairview Cemetery every Memorial Day, according to Bowling Green Parks and Recreation. The cemetery’s Veterans Memorial Plaza is at 1209 Fairview Ave. Call the cemetery office at 270-393-3607.

Does the Bowling Green pool open on Memorial Day weekend?

Yes. The Russell Sims Aquatic Center at Preston Miller Park opens for the summer on Memorial Day weekend. In 2026 its opening day was Monday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Is trash picked up on Memorial Day in Bowling Green?

Scott Waste Services collects trash in the city and posts holiday changes in its WasteConnect+ app. Call 270-783-4016 the week before to confirm your pickup day.