Memorial Day weekend is often thought of as the beginning of summer.

It’s also the time to honor those who have lost their lives in service to this country.

This year, the Central Kitsap area and Bremerton have planned events that will help fill the long weekend with reflection and fun.

Bremerton will again host the Kitsap Harbor Festival. In its fifth year, events will take place in Bremerton and Port Orchard on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26. Activities on the Bremerton Marina Boardwalk and the Port Orchard Waterfront Marina include more than 50 food and crafts vendors. Entertainment on the main stage includes local bands playing a variety of music and the Navy Band Northwest which will play on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.

The Kitsap Regional Library will host events at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday for the kids including pirate story time and the Venture Crew 1517 who will dive for sea creatures and then bring them to the stage to show the children.

There will be a KidZone with games, the Kitsap Car Cruz, with vintage, antique, classes and hot rod automobiles for viewing on Pacific Avenue. There will also be historic military vehicles on display.

Fourth Street will be filled with an open-air European style market where merchants and artisans will sell art work and collectables.

Events will be going on in Port Orchard as well including the 25th Annual Seagull Calling Contest. Registration begins at 11 a.m. Sunday and the event is at 3 p.m.

There will be movies all weekend for the kids and a farmers market. And for those who love their wings, there will be a barbecued wings contest, too.

Throughout the weekend, rides between Bremerton and Port Orchard on the foot ferry will be offered at no charge.

For a complete schedule of events go to www.kitsapharborfestival.com.

On Saturday, the “Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma” ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. at the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office, 911 Carver St. It is sponsored by the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office, the Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board and Combat Veterans International, Chapter 5.  The service will honor 21 unclaimed, deceased veterans and one veteran’s widow with words, music, and  Missing Man flyby.

The event is outdoors and attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring their own seating.  Coffee and doughnuts will be provided by the USO Mobile Canteen.

Following the ceremony, there will be a 30 minute break prior to departure to Tahoma National Cemetery.  The departed will be carried in a vehicle donated by West Sound Auto Plex.

The Run to Tahoma cortège will be guided by Elite Motor Escort, Inc. under the auspices of Combat Veterans International. For more information, contact Greg Sandstrom, coroner, at 360-337-7077 or Leif Bentsen, deceased veterans liaison for the Kitsap County Coroner’s Office at Lbentsen@co.kitsap.wa.us.

On Monday, a “Time of Remembrance” observance will be at the Allyn Waterfront Park gazebo. Organized by the Allyn Community Association, the community will come together to honor those who gave their lives for freedom, and all veterans and their families. This year’s special honorees will be those who served in World War II and Korea. Hotdogs will be served beginning at 11 a.m. Patriotic songs will be played by The Windjammers, a community band led by Stan Yantis Jr.  Coffee and cake will be served.

At noon the flag will be raised to full staff, signaling the start of the remembrance. Veterans will form a semi-circle and salute the flag and sing the National Anthem.

All veterans are encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia from their service years. Display boards will be up for all to view.

Veteran Dave Higgins will have a presentation at 11 a.m. which will feature photos and portraits of veterans. Veterans will be asked to introduce themselves and share a memory if they want. At the end of the ceremony, the ranks will fall in and march to the water’s edge at North Bay to release a memorial wreath in remembrance of all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

For more information, call Ina Culberson at 360-275-6769, or email oldcedarforge@wavecable.com.

Forest Lawn Cemetery will have a service Monday at 11 a.m. in conjunction with Fleet Reserve Assocation, Branch No. 29. Cmdr. Christopher Carter from Naval Base Kitsap will speak. For more information call 373-3132.

If driving is in the picture this Memorial Day weekend, there is some good news. AAA of Washington anticipates that gasoline prices will remain at or near their current level. An average price for a gallon of gas in Seattle is $3.85 and $3.66 across the nation as a whole. Gasoline in Kitsap is between $3.92 and $4.09 per gallon.

Monday Memorial Day closings include all federal, state and county government offices, area banks, and all Kitsap Regional libraries. The Port of Bremerton office will be closed along with Bremerton city offices.

There will be no U.S. Postal delivery and local post office sales windows will be closed.

All public schools in the Central Kitsap and the Bremerton districts will be closed on Memorial Day.

The offices of the Central Kitsap Reporter and the Bremerton Patriot will be closed on Monday.

Here are some additional events that we’ve been made award of for this weekend:

On Sunday at 8 p.m. at Miller Woodlawn Memorial Park, 5505 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, there will be a service titled “Honoring our Veterans”.

Congressman Derek Kilmer will speak. Other speakers include Commander Thomas Sullivan, US Coast Guard. Keith Highlander Pipe Band will play and the Agate Passage Barbershop Quartet will sing. The Saulsberry Sisters also will sing.

A “Table of Rememberance” of Pearl Harbor will be displayed, and TAPS will be sounded.

There will also be a display of Dale Nitz Historical Military Memorabilia – Pearl Harbor throughout the weekend.

On Monday at 1 p.m. at Ivy Green Cemetery at 15th Street and Naval Avenue in Bremerton, around “The Tomb of the Unknowns” replica,  there will be a Memorial Ceremony by the VFW 239. Wreaths will be presented by Fraternities throughout the Northwest and Canadians will be there to play bag pipes. New flagpoles are in place and will display all of the service flags and the MIA/POW flag as well.