Memorial Day Weekend events at Shiloh National Military Park, including the Memorial Day service at the national cemetery there, have been canceled due to coronavirus/NPS file

In what might just be the first canceled Memorial Day Weekend event, officials at Shiloh National Military Park have decided to cancel their annual Memorial Day activities.

In Tennessee, the stay at home order ends on Thursday, with no extension expected. In compliance to the president’s three-phase opening guidance, Phase One, calls for “all individuals, when in public (e.g., parks, outdoor recreation areas, shopping areas), to maximize physical distance from others. Social settings of more than 10 people, where appropriate distancing may not be practical, should be avoided unless precautionary measures are observed.”

Memorial Day activities planned for Shiloh this year included cannon firing demonstrations, a Saturday evening outdoor concert, and the annual Memorial Day service in the Shiloh National Cemetery. The national cemetery service easily draws 1,000 – 1,200 people, according to a park release. Due to the restrictions of the Phase One guidance on crowd size, which park management determined could not be adequately enforced, all events scheduled from May 23 – May 25 have been cancelled.

“This is not a decision we made easily, but the health and safety of the public and our employees is paramount, and we feel this is the best action to take,” said interim park Superintendent Randy Martin. “We hope that events planned for later in the summer will go ahead as scheduled.”

Outdoor spaces remain open and accessible to the public in accordance with the latest federal, state, and local health guidance and include Shiloh battlefield, Corinth battlefield, Contraband Camp, National Cemetery, Shiloh Indian Mounds National Historic Landmark, trails, and auto tour route.