How to Attend the National Memorial Day Concert

The National Memorial Day Concert held in Washington, D.C. is one of the largest celebrations for Memorial Day in the country. The concert consists of musical performances, dramatic readings and other exhibitions in honor of military service Memorial Day Concertpeople past and present. Each year celebrities and notable persons gather for this event in support of and tribute to America's heroes.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blanket or folding chair

1. Make travel plans early if you are visiting Washington, D.C. from out of town. Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, and Washington hotels typically sell out.

2. Book your transportation to Washington, D.C. Three airports service the DC area, including Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), Dulles International and Reagan National Airport. Alternatively, you can easily travel by train or bus.

3. Plan to arrive at the concert site early to get a decent seat. The National Memorial Day Concert is held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, and hundreds of thousands of people attend annually. The general public is usually allowed to enter the concert area starting 3 hours before the concert.

4. Take the Metro to the Capitol. Many streets are closed around the downtown area for the concert, so driving is virtually impossible. The closest Metro stops are the Capitol South and Federal Center SW stops on the Orange and Blue lines and the Union Station stop on the Red line.

5. Bring your own seating. Most people bring a blanket or folding chair to sit on to watch the concert. Concert seating is only provided for VIP attendees.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't attend the concert in person, you can watch the concert on PBS. Each year the concert is broadcast live. Check your local listings.
• Members of the Armed Forces and other Americans overseas can tune into the concert broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network.
• It's easier to get around Washington, D.C. using public transportation than by car because the street system is notoriously confusing and traffic is a major problem. If you are traveling to the city by car for the National Memorial Day Concert, consider parking outside the city and taking the train into the downtown area.
• For obvious reasons, you will be subjected to security searches when you attend the National Memorial Day Concert. You will have to go through a metal detector to enter the concert area and your bags will be subject to search.