Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. The Hampton Park concert, where the first Decoration Day was held in 1865, plus city closings and trash delays.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Event details come from the Charleston Concert Band; closings and trash from the city’s Memorial Day 2025 notice. City questions: Citizen Services Desk, 843-724-7311.

Memorial Day 2027 is Monday, May 31. Charleston’s main public observance is the Charleston Concert Band’s free concert in Hampton Park, on the ground where the city says Decoration Day was first observed in 1865. City offices close for the day and trash runs a day late. The 2027 details are not out yet; the 2026 and 2025 versions are below.

Who to call

  • Citizen Services Desk (trash, closings): 843-724-7311
  • City Recreation Department: 843-724-7327

Memorial Day concert in Hampton Park

The Charleston Concert Band plays its annual Memorial Day concert in Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Drive. In 2026:

  • When: Monday, May 25, 2026, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
  • What: a patriotic program honoring “all those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” the band says.
  • Cost: free, with no tickets required.
  • Bring: a folding chair to stake out a spot on the lawn.

The band lists its upcoming concerts on its concerts page; the 2027 concert should appear there in the spring.

The first Decoration Day

Hampton Park was once the Washington Race Course. According to a 2018 city media advisory, Decoration Day “was first observed in Charleston on May 1, 1865 when nearly 10,000 former slaves marched onto the grounds of the Washington Race Course, where a prison camp had been established, to honor the lives of hundreds of Union soldiers who had died there during the Civil War.”

The city calls it the event “many believe was our country’s first Memorial Day.” A Decoration Day historical marker stands at the north end of Hampton Park, on Mary Murray Drive near 10th Avenue. The city unveiled an improved marker there in 2018.

City events

The Recreation Department held a free Memorial Day Crafternoon at Forest Park on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m., where children made American flags, according to its 2026 Spring and Summer Recreation Guide. Look for the 2027 version in the spring guide.

What is open and closed

From the city’s 2025 Memorial Day notice; the 2027 notice usually goes out the week before.

Service Memorial Day (2025 pattern)
City offices Closed
City recreation facilities, pools and tennis centers Closed
Charleston Municipal Golf Course Open
Charleston County schools Out for summer (last day for students May 27, 2027)

Trash pickup. In 2025, garbage and trash collection ran on a one-day delay all week across the city:

  • Peninsula, inner West Ashley and James Island (city crews): Monday’s route was collected Tuesday, and so on.
  • Johns Island and outer West Ashley (Trident Waste): one-day delay, finishing Saturday.
  • Daniel Island and Cainhoy (Trident Waste): one-day delay.

Check the city’s news page and the CHS TrashTracker for 2027, and our trash and recycling page for routes and convenience centers.

Pools and the start of summer

City pools are closed on Memorial Day itself. The city’s Herbert Hasell and James Island pools open for the summer season, the city’s recreation guide says; opening dates, camps and splash pads are on our summer camps and pools page.

What this means for you

  • Put your trash out a day late the week of May 31 unless the city says otherwise.
  • City offices and recreation centers are closed Monday, May 31.
  • Bring a chair to Hampton Park for the band’s concert in the afternoon.

More: Fourth of July fireworks, history and landmarks and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When is Memorial Day 2027?

Monday, May 31, 2027. Charleston County School District’s last day for students is Thursday, May 27, so schools are already out.

Is there a Memorial Day concert in Hampton Park?

Yes. The Charleston Concert Band plays a free patriotic Memorial Day concert in Hampton Park every year. In 2026 it ran from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Memorial Day, with no tickets required; bring a folding chair.

Why is Charleston linked to the first Memorial Day?

On May 1, 1865, nearly 10,000 former slaves marched onto the grounds of the Washington Race Course, now Hampton Park, to honor hundreds of Union soldiers who died at a prison camp there, according to the city. A Decoration Day marker stands at the north end of the park.

Is trash picked up on Memorial Day in Charleston?

In 2025 city offices closed on Memorial Day and all garbage and trash collection ran one day late for the rest of the week. The city posts each year’s schedule on its news page the week before.