Grafton, West Virginia among best cities in America to observe Memorial Day

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Many think of Memorial Day as the start of summer, but it’s also a time to remember those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, and according to a recent study, Grafton is one of the best places in America to remember that sacrifice.

A recent analysis of search data by travel solutions website Sixt ranked Grafton, West Virginia as the 10th best city in the U.S. to honor Memorial Day.

One of the main reason that Grafton made the list is its Memorial Day Parade, which has been around since 1867, just a few years after West Virginia became a state . This year will be the 157th annual parade. Last year’s parade lasted more than two hours and features more than 60 floats.

This year’s parade starts at 10 a.m. and goes through downtown Grafton. A livestream of the parade will be available online here .

The ranking also factored in the number of veteran-owned businesses and war memorials in each city. Grafton is home to the Grafton National Cemetery, which was started in 1867 to bury Union soldiers who had died in West Virginia during the Civil War. More than 2,100 veterans from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and Vietnam War are buried there, according tot the West Virginia Encyclopedia , including Thornsberry Bailey Brown, who was the first casualty of the Civil War.

Previous studies have also determined that West Virginia has among the most veteran-owned businesses and is among the best states for veteran business owners .

The other best cities for commemorating Memorial Day are as follows:

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Brooklyn, New York
3. Doylestown, New York
4. Wilmington, Delaware
5. Dearborn, Michigan
6. Ironton, Ohio
7. Hempstead, New York
8. Rochester, Wisconsin

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