Celebrate Memorial Day weekend with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band at Summer Blast Off! Gather with family and friends to enjoy timeless musical favorites and a spectacular fireworks display.

The free event is open to the public and will be held at 8 p.m., Sunday, May 25, at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts’ Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and seating is first come, first served. 

The concert opens with Robert Jager’s “Esprit de Corps,” a nod to camaraderie in the Corps and a fantasy on The Marines’ Hymn. The piece was commissioned for the Marine Band in 1984 by then-director Colonel John Bourgeois.

In another gesture to service, the Marine Band will also perform “Ardennes March,” a piece written by World War II veteran Frederick L. Faulkner. The composer, who passed away in January, served in the U.S. Army on the European front of World War II. His march honors those he fought beside in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge.

In addition to patriotic music, concert guests will also enjoy a vast array of popular music and wind band classics, including John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan, John Philip Sousa’s march “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”

“[This concert] is a lot of fun,” said Staff Sgt. Hannah Davis, who will join Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear in moderating the concert. “It’s much more interactive than your normal concert. It’s very family friendly.” 

Davis is particularly looking forward to singing a medley of songs from The Little Mermaid, including “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl.” 

“I love seeing the audience participation and their faces and smiles just light up whenever we begin to sing all of the songs together,” Davis said.

The evening will conclude with a stirring salute to U.S. service members, past and present. Following the concert, a firework viewing area will open at 9:30 p.m., with the display to commence at 9:45 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring picnics and blankets or lawn chairs for seating in the lawn area. The venue is located at 1551 Trap Road Vienna, VA 22182. For more information, click here.