Celebrate Memorial Day and all it signifies on the deck of the USS Midway–Legacy Week is just around the corner!

This annual tradition pays tribute to all those brave men and women who’ve served in uniform to protect our nation–and involves all ages as it does so. The USS Midway Museum provides a unique and entirely appropriate venue for these events, variously dignified and exhilaratingly fun.

The proceedings get underway with the Veterans Wreath Ceremony on the morning of May 25. During this moving occasion, some of the children in attendance will join active members of the military as well as veterans to acknowledge those who gave their lives in the Armed Forces. These heroes will be honored with biodegradable wreaths cast over the side of the venerable ship harboring the museum.

Kids and adults alike will love the hands-on fun of the Adventure Discovery Zone, which runs the full duration of Legacy Week. Participants will be able to explore authentic military gear and engage in other activities. On Sunday and Monday, Legacy Week attendees will have the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet with some of the very aviators whose beloved aircraft are exhibited in the museum–a chance to put faces and stories behind these elegant, history-drenched machines.

Sunday is marked also by a daylong American Red Cross blood drive as well as an afternoon concert by the US Navy Band. On Monday, the American Legion Post 492 will facilitate a special Memorial Day ceremony.

That’s not all: On Saturday evening, the rootsy band Creedence Clearwater Revisited will perform a rousing benefit concert on the USS Midway’s flight deck.

Legacy Week, first and foremost, is about paying tribute to the men and women of America’s Armed Forces. It also provides the perfect time to explore the USS Midway Museum, one of San Diego’s top attractions. Nearly 30 aircraft and a plethora of interactive exhibits give visitors unparalleled immersion in military history and heritage–all in the context of a regal aircraft carrier, put in duty in 1945 and once the world’s largest ship.

If you’re bedding down at The Sofia Hotel around Memorial Day, don’t miss the chance to climb aboard the Midway and give thanks to our veterans!