Memorial Day 2026 lands on Monday, May 25. If you’ve served, that’s the day a long list of restaurants, retailers, and attractions say thank you with free meals and discounts. The catch: most roundups bury the date, stay vague on what ID you need, and never tell you whether the VA is even open. We fixed all three below.
One quick but important note before the list. Memorial Day honors service members who died in the line of duty. A lot of brands extend their offers to veterans, active duty, and sometimes Gold Star families anyway — so the discounts are real, but the day itself is a remembrance, not a sale.
When the deals actually run
Here’s the part competitors make you hunt for:
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2026.
- The deal window: most offers run the full long weekend, roughly Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25.
- Single-day offers: some free-meal promotions are good on the holiday itself only. Others (notably retail and drugstore sales) span the weekend. We flag which is which below.
If you’re reading this ahead of the next occurrence, the pattern repeats every year on the last Monday of May — but the exact offers change annually, so treat specific chains as “check before you go,” not gospel.
What to expect this year
2026 looks a lot like recent years: a predictable mix of free entrées, 10–50% off, and free admission. Nobody’s reinventing the wheel. What changes year to year is which chains opt in and how tightly they verify service.
On that point, set your expectations now: nearly every offer requires proof of service. In practice that means a military ID (CAC), a Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), a VA ID card, or a DD-214. A driver’s license with a veteran designation works at many spots too. Free-meal deals verify hardest; percentage-off retail deals tend to be looser but can still ask.
Best deals for vets on Memorial Day: food, retail, and admission
We’ve grouped the most reliable offers by category. Discount amounts reflect what these brands have run in recent Memorial Day cycles — confirm your location before you drive out.
Restaurant and food deals for veterans on Memorial Day
This is the category searchers want most. Expect a split between genuinely free meals and percentage discounts:
- Denny’s — free Build Your Own Grand Slam, typically dine-in on the holiday.
- Benihana — a complimentary or discounted entrée for military and veterans.
- Fogo de Chão — around 50% off for the veteran, often with a paying guest required.
- Miller’s Ale House — up to 50% off a veteran’s meal.
- Joe’s Crab Shack and Grimaldi’s — roughly 15% off.
- LaMar’s Donuts — a free donut-and-coffee style offer in participating markets.
These are overwhelmingly dine-in only and usually can’t be stacked with other coupons. If free food is the whole point of your day, build a short route of two or three confirmed stops rather than assuming every chain near you is in.
Retail discounts for veterans on Memorial Day
- Lowe’s — 10% military discount (available year-round, not just the holiday, once you’re enrolled in their verification program).
- Walgreens / Duane Reade — around 20% off eligible items, typically May 23–25.
- Columbia Sportswear — about 20% off for military and veterans.
Free admission and entertainment
- Theme parks such as Kings Dominion and Silverwood have run free or discounted military admission around the holiday.
- Museums and attractions frequently waive or cut admission for ID holders — check your local venue’s military page.
Quick-reference table
| Category | Example offer | Typical window |
|---|---|---|
| Food (free) | Denny’s Grand Slam, Benihana entrée | Holiday, Mon May 25 |
| Food (% off) | Fogo de Chão ~50%, Joe’s Crab Shack ~15% | Weekend, varies |
| Retail | Walgreens ~20%, Columbia ~20% | May 23–25 |
| Admission | Theme parks, museums (ID required) | Holiday weekend |
Costs and planning tips
A little planning turns a vague “maybe there’s a deal” into a genuinely cheap day out:
- Bring a physical ID. A phone photo of your DD-214 gets turned away more often than you’d think. Carry the real card.
- Call ahead. Participation varies by franchise — a chain can offer a free meal nationally while your nearest location opts out. A 60-second phone call beats a wasted trip.
- Don’t expect to stack. Dine-in free meals almost never combine with loyalty-app rewards or other coupons. Where a deal is “free appetizer with entrée purchase,” that’s sometimes the exception — ask.
- Watch single-day limits. If an offer is holiday-only and you’re busy Monday, it’s gone. Weekend-long retail sales are the flexible ones.
If you’re already planning holiday meals and hours this season, our guide to holiday hours and Florida alternatives at In-N-Out is a useful companion for figuring out what’s actually open.
Florida notes: chains, and is the VA open?
National lists ignore which chains actually operate here, so a quick Florida-specific pass:
Chains with Florida locations that commonly participate include Benihana, Fogo de Chão, Kona Grill, STK Steakhouse, Smalls Sliders, and Honey Dew. Metro Miami, Orlando, and Tampa have the densest coverage; call your specific store to confirm the offer and that it’s running on the holiday.
Is the VA open on Memorial Day? No — Memorial Day is a federal holiday, so VA regional offices and most routine clinic services close, including in Florida. Emergency care does not stop: VA emergency rooms stay open, the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988, then press 1) runs 24/7, and prescriptions can be refilled online. Plan routine appointments and in-person errands around the closure.
Planning a cookout? Our pieces on how long to boil a chicken breast and the real calorie count in apple cider drinks are handy if you’re hosting. And if the long weekend turns wet, here’s why it’s been raining so much in 2026.
Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day: don’t mix them up
One last thing that trips people up. The bigger wave of veteran discounts — including many free meals aimed specifically at veterans — happens on Veterans Day in November, not Memorial Day in May. Memorial Day deals are real and worth claiming, but if a chain you love isn’t participating this weekend, it’s very likely running something in the fall. Bookmark both.
FAQs
When is Memorial Day in 2026 and do the deals run all weekend?
Memorial Day 2026 is Monday, May 25. Most deals for vets on Memorial Day run the full long weekend (roughly Friday, May 22 through Monday), but some free-meal offers are good only on the holiday itself. Check each brand before you go.
What discounts are available for vets on Memorial Day?
Expect three types: free meals (Denny’s, Benihana), percentage off (Fogo de Chão ~50%, Walgreens and Columbia ~20%, Lowe’s 10%), and free or discounted admission at some theme parks and museums for military and veteran ID holders.
What restaurant deals are there for veterans on Memorial Day?
Common restaurant deals include a free Denny’s Grand Slam, a Benihana entrée, LaMar’s Donuts freebies, and discounts of 15–50% at Fogo de Chão, Miller’s Ale House, Joe’s Crab Shack, and Grimaldi’s. Most are dine-in only and can’t be stacked with other coupons.
Is the VA open on Memorial Day 2026?
No. Memorial Day is a federal holiday, so VA regional offices and routine clinic services close, including in Florida. Emergency rooms stay open, and the Veterans Crisis Line (988, then 1) runs 24/7. Schedule routine appointments around the closure.
Do you need a military ID to get Memorial Day veteran discounts?
Usually yes. Bring a physical military ID (CAC), VA ID card, Veteran Health ID Card, DD-214, or a driver’s license with a veteran designation. Free-meal offers verify hardest; retail percentage discounts are often looser but can still ask.
Are Memorial Day discounts for veterans only, or also active duty and family?
It varies by brand. Most offers cover veterans and active duty, and some extend to Gold Star families or dependents with a valid ID. Spouses and dependents should ask directly, since eligibility isn’t standardized across chains.
