Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, in Orange, will host a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 27. The ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m., and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for seating.

The program will begin with the singing of the National Anthem by Eric Arceneaux, a six-year Navy veteran and Shangri La staff member. He will also perform an A Cappella rendition of America, the Beautiful. Following Arceneaux, Vietnam veteran and Shangri La volunteer Charlie Rothrock will speak briefly about the importance of Memorial Day and the significance of the holiday in honoring fallen soldiers.

The ceremony will include a ringing of the Great Bell, followed by a moment of silence at 3:00 p.m. Concluding the event will be a bugle performance of Taps by Will Poppe, a student at Lamar University.

"Memorial Day offers a time of remembrance and a day to honor the many brave men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces," said Joseph Johnson, Interim Director of Shangri La. "We are honored to commemorate the military sacrifices made for our country by hosting a presentation on this important holiday."

Shangri La will be open throughout Memorial Day, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., for visitors of all ages. Public outpost tours will be offered throughout the day and both the Garden Store and the Star and Crescent Moon Café will be open to serve visitors. The Memorial Day Ceremony will be included with paid admission to Shangri La. For more information, visit www.shangrilagardens.org.

Located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, Shangri La is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Admission is free for STARK Cultural Venues members. Admission fees for the Gardens at Shangri La are $6.00 for adults; $5.00 for seniors (age 65 and up), students (with ID), and youth (age 10-17); $2.00 for children (age 4-9); and free for toddlers (age 3 and under). Outpost tour fees are in addition to Gardens' admissions, and visitors are reminded that participants of an outpost tour must be four years of age or older. Group tours are available by advanced registration.