10 ways to spend Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is here. While many use the time to take a well-deserved break from work, it’s also an opportunity to honor the women and men that died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It’s important to first and foremost acknowledge the contributions of those who are no longer with us and take time to focus on the deeper meaning of the day.

Afterward, there’s plenty of ways to spend the long weekend, from hosting a get-together, a barbecue, or hitting the beach. We’re here to help you decide how to spend Memorial Weekend to make the most of your day off.

Ways to spend Memorial Day

Honor veterans in a meaningful way

It's important to acknowledge why holidays are observed, as it gives you a better appreciation and understanding of the day. Memorial Day, as per its name, was established as a day of remembrance, specifically for service members who gave their lives in the line of duty. It can be traced all the way back to the Civil War. In Charleston, South Carolina, Black veterans organized burials for Union soldiers and later held a parade commemorating those who had fallen. Around the same time, the first “Decoration Days” were held, wherein women decorated the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers with flowers. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971.

No matter where you live in the U.S., there's a good chance that there’s a Memorial Day parade or memorial service near you to attend. You can ask your smart speaker to help you find an event.

Though it may seem like there’s no thank you that can quite cover the sacrifices of veterans, it can’t hurt to try. If you know of a late veteran, you can decorate their grave with a beautiful bouquet. You can also thank soldiers as you see them throughout the holiday. To thank active military members from afar, you can write letters to them or create thoughtful care packages to send them.

Spend time with friends and family

While Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, there's still space to have some fun, too. As it is a federal holiday, many businesses across the nation are closed and workers have the day off. Memorial Day has become widely regarded as the “unofficial start to summer” and an opportunity to gather with friends and family. You can host people right in your backyard for some fun in the sun and tasty grilling.

If you have the space to host outdoors, you can make sure everyone is seated with new patio furniture. One of the best patio furniture sets you can buy is the Devoko five-piece furniture set. This set is water-resistant and its furniture pieces can either be put up separately or together.

Whether you’re indoors or outdoors, you can spend your get-together playing games. If you have the space for patio furniture, you might also have the space to play lawn games like ladder toss.

Staying indoors or want other options? There are numerous entertaining board games to play as well. One board game we love is Ticket to Ride. It’s easy to explain for newcomers, yet complex enough that more competitive players can effectively strategize.

Host a movie night

Hosting a movie night is perfect, whether you’re outdoors or not. Turn the backyard into a cozy outdoor movie night event with a screen and projector or, if you’re looking to keep things indoors, host it inside the house.

It’s convenient to watch any movie your heart desires when you use a streaming device such as our favorite, the Roku Ultra. This streaming device supports premium audio and video formats and comes with the best remote of all the devices we’ve tested.

One of the biggest gulfs between viewing movies at home vs in the theater is audio quality and a great sound bar can help close the gap. The best soundbar we've tested is the Sonos Arc thanks to its rich sound and convenient interface.

And no movie night is complete without popcorn. There are many ways to pop your own popcorn at home, but our favorite method is using the Cuisinart Pop And Serve Popcorn Maker. This sturdy bowl quick to make popcorn and doesn’t require the use of oil, unlike stovetop poppers.

Dust off the grill

Memorial Day is the perfect excuse to break out the grill for a barbecue. If you've noticed us talking about grilling a lot, it's because there's seldom a bad time for it. If you already have a grill, just make sure that it’s clean before using it. New to grilling? There are many grills to choose from, but we recommend our favorite charcoal option, the Napoleon NK22K-LEG-2. It’s sturdy, gives you 22 inches of grill to work with and distributes heat evenly. If you decide to buy the Napoleon, don’t forget to pick up some charcoal too.

When it comes to gas grills, our favorite is the Weber Spirit II, which is compatible with a nifty thermometer app to help you cook food to the perfect temperature.

Whatever grill you choose, unless you’re handling the searing-hot food with your hands (which we at Reviewed do not recommend) you’ll need good tongs to get the job done right.

Have a picnic

Another way to enjoy food during your day off is to have a picnic.

The most essential product for a picnic is, of course, a picnic basket. If you’re looking for a classic wicket basket, look no further than Vintiquewise’s Wickerwise basket. It has over 1,700 five-star reviews on Amazon. Buyers say it’s the perfect size for carrying snacks.

Picnics are all about aesthetics, so why not upgrade your outing with a beautiful towel to lay on, such as this one by Slowtide? This brand will be your go-to for finding beautiful towels.

If you’re not exclusively eating finger foods, you’ll also need plates for your picnic. We recommend Coleman’s enamel dinnerware set. Not only is this plate set good-looking, but it’s sturdy and comes with a pouch to keep your silverware organized.

Enjoy a camping trip

Since you have the day off, you might want to take some time to get away from the house and spend some time in nature. Perhaps take a short camping trip with the best tents we've reviewed. The Coleman 4-Person Skydome is our tent of choice, particularly if you’re not comfortable setting up tents—the attached poles are a lifesaver.

Hiking to your destination? Consider a walking stick. Our favorite hiking stick is the Cascade Mountain Tech thanks to its affordability, lightweight build and adjustable length.

For a solid pair of hiking boots, check out the Danner Mountain 600 Hiking Boots. This is a solid option because the boots are durable, waterproof, and have great grip.

Hit the water

Another great way to spend your day off is to hit the beach. We can help you bring everything you need for a perfect day. We recommend checking out our roundup of the best stores to find a perfect swimsuit. One place to buy a swimsuit is Land’s End, which features one-pieces with a timeless look.

Don’t forget to bring a towel to dry off and wipe off sand. The best towel we’ve tested is the PackTowl Personal Beach Towel because it’s lightweight, quick to dry, and absorptive.

You’ll also want to make sure you have sunscreen to keep nasty sunburns from ruining your day off. Our favorite sunscreen is the Hawaiian Tropic Mineral Skin Nourishing Milk SPF 50 Sunscreen. It feels lightweight, has a pleasant scent, and it doesn’t leave a white cast when you apply it.

For quicker application, give sunscreen sticks a try. One of the most popular options is the Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, loved for its hydrating, invisible finish.

If you have a pool, then you’ll need to clean it before you dive right in. We’ve prepared a handy guide to help you every step of the way.

Go on a bike ride

If you like biking, the long weekend is the perfect opportunity to put your foot to the pedal and ride. For biking over rough terrain, we recommend using a fat tire bike like the Mongoose Argus ST & Trail Mountain bike. It’s a great choice because it’s beginner-friendly and stable.

You can also give electric bikes a try, which are even better for biking long-distance if you’re a beginner. The best electric bike we’ve tested is the Lectric XP 3.0 because its powerful, easy to assemble, and boasts excellent build quality.

No matter what kind of bike you end up riding, it’s always best to ride while wearing a helmet. The Giro Register MIPS Adult Recreational Cycling Helmet is one of the most popular helmets on Amazon, with over 3,000 five-star reviews. Buyers love it because of its comfort.

Catch up on some much-needed R&R

Let's face it, as nice as it is to spend time with friends and family, you deserve some time to yourself, too. What better way to spend the long weekend than to catch up on well-earned sleep, ensuring that you're feeling recharged when Tuesday comes knocking? Your body will thank you for finally managing to get a good night’s sleep.

In our humble opinion, the most important ingredient to getting quality sleep is a good pillow and there's no better option than Coop Home Goods Original Pillow. This pillow can be adjusted easily to fill it with your desired amount of memory foam. Sleeping on this will send you to a blissful paradise.

If a new mattress is calling your name, consider the Leesa Hybrid. This soft, but sturdy bed contours to your shape for maximum comfort and makes you feel like you're slumbering on a cloud. Before you excitedly reach for your tracker to log all the sleep you'll be getting, you should know that it may hurt more than it helps.

If you relax by reading, consider getting your books all in one convenient place with an e-reader. The best e-reader we’ve tested is the Amazon Kindle, which we love because of its crisp, bright display, responsive UI, and compact form factor.

Shop the best Memorial Day deals

With great holidays come great deals from major retailers like Amazon and Walmart. You won’t want to miss these sales that will make shopping over Memorial Day weekend worthwhile. Here are all the best deals happening.

• Best Memorial Day sales: Memorial Day sales are here—shop summer steals at HexClad, Target, Tuft & Needle

• TV deals: Shop blockbuster Memorial Day TV Deals for up to $1,000 off LG, Samsung, Hisense

• Hexclad: Get up to $1,000 off Hexlad cookware this at this star-spangled sale

• Samsung: Discover Samsung is back — save up to $3,000 on top-rated tech ahead of Memorial Day

• Wayfair: 15 best deals at Wayfair’s massive Memorial Day sale

• Walmart deals: Shop the 10 best deals at the Walmart Memorial Day Sale

When is Memorial Day 2024?

Memorial Day takes place annually on the last Monday in the month of May. This year, it falls on Monday, May 27th. Many schools and businesses observe the federal holiday and shut their doors for the day.

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in America wherein fallen soldiers are honored for their service and mourned for making the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.