Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake: Parades, Pyramids on the Water, and That First Real Taste of Summer

ByJoel Reyenga

Your insider guide to Lake Geneva area events for the week of May 20 through May 27, 2026

HI ALL. So. We made it. The dock is back in, the boats are getting their first real workout, and if you walked the Shore Path in Williams Bay this past weekend you already know the lake is showing off. Memorial Day weekend around Geneva Lake has this funny way of feeling like a starting gun and a homecoming at the same time. Chicago plates start showing up on every other car in town. The line at Kilwins gets a little longer. Boat captains practice their wave (you know the one, two fingers off the wheel, very casual, very smug).

And honestly? We love it. Memorial Day in the Lake Geneva area is one of the best weekends of the entire year, and not just because of the weather, although the forecast is looking pretty kind. It is because every village around the lake leans into the holiday in its own way. Patriotic parades that have been running for fifty-plus years. Pyramids of water skiers on Lake Mary. Pig roasts on the lawn at Lake Lawn. Beatles tribute bands in a renovated 1888 Mormon church. (Yes, really. We will get to that.) Whether you are weekending up from the city or you live here year round, here is your roadmap to the week of May 20 through May 27, 2026.

Kim and Joel Reyenga of eXp Realty put this guide together every single week because they actually live this stuff. Not from a desk. From the boat, from Pier 290, from the front porch.

Memorial Day Parades and Services Around Geneva Lake

Memorial Day 2026 falls on Monday, May 25. Every community we serve marks it differently, but the West End traditions hosted by Geneva Lakes VFW Post 2373 are some of the most well-attended observances in southern Wisconsin. Bring a folding chair, leave room for the Williams Bay High School Bulldogs Marching Band, and plan to stick around for the ceremony at the lake. It is worth it.

Lake Geneva

  • Monday, May 25, 10:00 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 Memorial Day parade steps off from Horticultural Hall and rolls down Broad Street to Flat Iron Park. Ceremony at Brunk Pavilion follows around 10:30 a.m.

Williams Bay (also covers Fontana, Walworth and Lake Geneva via VFW Post 2373)

  • Monday, May 25, 10:30 a.m. parade kicks off at Clover and Cherry Streets, travels Williams Street to Geneva Street (Hwy 67), and finishes at lakeside Edgewater Park.
  • 11:00 a.m. solemn ceremony at the Williams Bay Veterans Memorial, including the reading of “In Flanders Fields,” wreath laying, and music by the Williams Bay High School Band and Choir.

East Troy

  • Monday, May 25, 11:00 a.m. Memorial Day observance presented by American Legion Loomis-Martin Post 188 and East Troy VFW Post 7501 on the Village Square. The ceremony runs right alongside the 49th annual Corn and Brat Roast (more on that in a minute).

Delavan, Elkhorn, Whitewater, Twin Lakes and Burlington

Each of these communities also hosts annual Memorial Day observances organized by local Legion and VFW posts. Specific 2026 step-off times can shift right up until the holiday weekend, so we recommend checking with the chamber of commerce or local VFW post in your village before heading out. Lyons traditionally holds a flagpole ceremony at the west end of North Railroad Street, and Walworth Village honors the day with the Ingalls-Koeppen American Legion Post 102 parade and cemetery service.

Events for the Week of May 20

A little of everything this week. Comedy, classic rock, water skiing royalty, and one really good pig roast.

Wednesday, May 20

  • Live music at Geneva Tap House (252 Broad St., Lake Geneva), 7 to 9 p.m. Bring a friend, order the smashburger, you will thank us.

Friday, May 22

Saturday, May 23

  • AQUANUT WATER SHOWS OPENING NIGHT, Lance Park, Twin Lakes, 6:30 p.m. Free admission, free parking. The Aquanuts are six-time national champions and their multi-tier pyramid finale is honestly nuts. Bring a blanket, get there 45 minutes early for a good spot. This is their 54th season.
  • American English at the Belfry, 7 p.m. (Night two.)
  • East Troy Brewfest, afternoon hours on the Village Square. Tickets get you unlimited sampling of more than 30 craft beers plus a commemorative glass.
  • Live music at Duesterbeck’s and at Geneva Tap House.

Sunday, May 24

  • Lake Lawn Resort Memorial Day Weekend Pig Roast and Lawn Party on the lakefront lawn, 4:30 p.m. start. This is the one. Outdoor pig roast, live music, kids running barefoot in the grass, the sun going down over Delavan Lake.
  • American English: final Belfry show, 7 p.m.
  • East Troy Corn and Brat Roast, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Geneva Tap House Sunday afternoon live music, 2 to 5 p.m.

Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day)

  • Memorial Day parades and ceremonies (see above).
  • East Troy Corn and Brat Roast wraps up, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesday, May 27

  • Aquanuts mid-week show at Lance Park, Twin Lakes, 6:30 p.m. Free.
  • Live music at Geneva Tap House, 7 to 9 p.m.

What’s Happening at the Resorts

Memorial Day Weekend is when the big lakeside resorts dust off their summer programming, and 2026 is no exception. Here is what is on tap.

The Abbey Resort (Fontana)

The Abbey is running its full Memorial Day Weekend slate, which typically includes lakeside activities, family programming through the Abbey Group Pursuits team, Avani Spa hours, and live music in 240 West. Their weekly activities document is the best source for exact times if you are staying on property. As the only full-service resort directly on Geneva Lake, this is also a great place to grab a cocktail on the harbor lawn even if you are not a hotel guest.

Grand Geneva Resort and Spa (Lake Geneva)

Two big notes here. First, Grand Geneva’s new Wee Nip Short Course just opened on May 19, so this is your chance to be one of the first to play it. Second, their Classic Sunday Brunch with endless Champagne is running on Sunday, May 24. The full Memorial Day deal dates are also live for stays starting at $159 in a deluxe guestroom. Voted the number one Midwest resort by Condé Nast Traveler readers in 2025.

Lake Lawn Resort (Delavan)

Wisconsin’s oldest operating resort (since 1878) goes big for Memorial Day. The signature event is the Sunday Pig Roast and Lawn Party at 4:30 p.m. on the lakefront lawn, but the whole weekend (May 22 through 24) has indoor and outdoor entertainment for all ages, plus the season’s first scenic boat tours and kayak tours on Delavan Lake.

Destination Geneva National (Lake Geneva)

Lodge Geneva National guests can enjoy live music on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. throughout the summer season starting Memorial Day weekend. Paloma Cantina is open for outdoor dining, and the saltwater pools are officially in season.

Alpine Valley Resort (Elkhorn)

Alpine Valley’s 27-hole golf course is in full swing, and the Summit Spirits bar and pavilion is now open daily May through October. Spring golf rates run through May 27, so book a tee time this week if you want the discount. Their first big after-hours event of the season, Night Golf, is coming on May 30.

Theater and Live Music Worth the Drive

Make This Memorial Day Weekend Count

Memorial Day weekend at Geneva Lake is the kind of weekend that makes Chicago families say, every single year, “why do we not just live up here?” (And then a year or two later, they call Kim and Joel.)

Whether you are here for the parade in Williams Bay, the pig roast at Lake Lawn, a Beatles tribute at the Belfry, or just to walk a section of the Geneva Lake Shore Path with a cold drink in hand, this is the week the lake remembers what it is for.

For the full, always-updated list of Lake Geneva area events, restaurants, things to do, weekend guides and community profiles, head to www.LakeGenevaWeekend.com. We update it every single Wednesday. And if all of this Memorial Day magic has you scrolling Zillow at 11 p.m. wondering what a lakefront cottage actually costs (we see you), Kim and Joel Reyenga of eXp Realty have you covered. Browse current homes for sale around Geneva Lake, Delavan Lake, Lauderdale Lakes, Lake Beulah, Whitewater Lake and Powers Lake over at yourwiscohome.com. No pressure, just data and local knowledge.

See you on the Shore Path. Bring sunscreen and bring your camera.

#KimandJoel #LakeGenevaWeekend #LakeLife #LakeGenevaWI #ThingsToDoLakeGeneva #YourWiscoHome #TheReyengaTeam #eXpRealty #MemorialDayWeekend #LakeLifeGoals

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