Grafton celebrates Memorial Day with a grand parade. The parade is several divisions long and has many components. It starts near the VFW outpost in downtown Grafton, and ends at the Grafton National Cemetery. There is a large variety of groups found participating in the parade. Some participants may include local, as well as nearby, high school and middle school bands, local school children, and the members of local dance studios. The most amazing spectacle could very well be the large number of beautiful floats. They are built by many different organizations for various reasons. Seniors graduating with honors get to ride in their own float.
A tradition believed to be very unique among Memorial Day observances is having the school children carry flowers to place on the graves in the Grafton National Cemetery after the parade. Another tradition, which the kids can surely appreciate, is being rewarded for participating with an ice cream sandwich.