Memorial Day in Knoxville 2027: Reading of the Names and closings

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association, the City of Knoxville’s Aquatics pages and the Knox County Schools calendar.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. Every year Knoxville marks it with the Reading of the Names at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in World’s Fair Park, where volunteers read every name on the memorial aloud, starting at sunrise. The weekend also opens the city’s outdoor pools, and Knox County students are already out for the summer.

Who to call

• Reading of the Names: East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association, etvma.org
• City pools: Ed Cothren Pool 865-544-7840; Inskip Pool 865-687-9919 (weather line)
• City services: Knoxville 311, 865-215-4311

Reading of the Names

Each Memorial Day, more than 100 volunteer readers gather at sunrise at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial to read aloud each of the 6,400-plus names engraved on it. When the reading ends, any names newly added to the memorial are dedicated. ETVMA events

About the memorial. It stands in World’s Fair Park and carries the names of veterans from 35 East Tennessee counties who died in military service since the start of World War I. There are 32 granite pylons, each 9 feet high, with about 220 names apiece, sorted by conflict and then by county. Names are inscribed no higher than 54 inches so every visitor, including people in wheelchairs, can touch them. The memorial

The association also holds a Medal of Honor Evening, a fundraising dinner on the first Monday in May, honoring one of the 15 Medal of Honor recipients named on the memorial.

We will add the 2027 start time and any other Knoxville ceremonies and parades as organizers post them. Send yours through our contact page.

Pools open for the summer

The City of Knoxville’s two outdoor pools open Memorial Day weekend (in 2026, Saturday, May 23):

• Ed Cothren Pool, in Malcolm-Martin Park off Reynolds Street, Northwest Knoxville: outdoor pool and baby pool, with a zero-entry ramp. 865-544-7840.
• Inskip Pool, 4204 Bruhin Road, in Inskip Park: a high diving board, two low boards, a wading pool and a snack bar. 865-687-9919.

In 2026 both were open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, at $5 a visit. Children under 11 must be with an adult 18 or older. Full details are on our summer camps and pools page.

What is open and closed

• Knox County Schools: the last day for students is a half day on Wednesday, May 26, 2027. District calendar
• Trash and recycling: pickup runs on the normal day. The city says Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only planned days when curbside pickup does not run as scheduled. See our trash guide.
• Splash fountains: the city says its play fountains on Market Square, at World’s Fair Park and in the Krutch Park Extension are typically turned on in May.

Related: Fourth of July fireworks, history and landmarks and Father’s Day.

Frequently asked questions

What happens in Knoxville on Memorial Day?

Each Memorial Day, more than 100 volunteers gather at sunrise at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in World’s Fair Park to read aloud the more than 6,400 names engraved on it. Newly added names are dedicated at the end.

When is Memorial Day 2027?

Monday, May 31, 2027.

When do Knoxville city pools open?

The city’s outdoor pools, Ed Cothren and Inskip, open Memorial Day weekend. In 2026 that was Saturday, May 23.

Is trash picked up on Memorial Day in Knoxville?

Yes. The city says Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only planned days when curbside trash and recycling are not picked up as scheduled.