Plans for Tamaqua’s special anniversary Memorial Day celebrations are well underway. Tamaqua Remembers, the all-volunteer group which is planning the monthlong observance, held its next-to-last meeting to firm up a number of activities and fundraisers.

The time of 7 p.m. has been set for the Night of Honors kickoff event on May 1. Borough officials will reveal the new name for the street between the Tamaqua American Legion and the Tamaqua Area school District Administration Building, and the mural on the Cottage Avenue wall will be unveiled. Sometime during the day, commemorative wreaths will be placed on the local graves of Tamaqua veterans killed during America’s war times.

Other activities during the month include: a home decorating contest; an essay contest for high school students; lectures by Tracy Fisher and Lt. Col. Ralph Peters; concerts by Pottsville’s Third Brigade Band, the Cressona Band, Matthew Dodd and the Jolly Tars; a blood drive; cemetery walk; special exhibit at the Tamaqua Historical Society; and old time radio show.

A community mixer will be held at 7 p.m. on May 26 at the Station at the Restaurant, followed by a fireworks extravaganza.

The final stage of the observance will be the Memorial Day Parade and cemetery service on May 28. The parade will start at 10 a.m.

The events are being planned in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day becoming a national holiday.

In the weeks leading up to May, a number of fundraisers are being held to help defray costs. They include the sale of commemorative T-shirts; a quilt, afghan and pillow raffle; sale of wreaths and bunting; and a cash prize raffle.

A complete listing of the events is available at www.tamaquaremembers.com or on Facebook at Tamaqua Remembers.