Memorial Day 2017 Freebies Restaurant Offers Retail Discounts And Family Activities

Memorial Day 2017 provided numerous freebies and discounts to honor military personnel and their families. Across the United States, restaurants, retailers, attractions, and service providers offered special promotions as part of Military Appreciation Month. These offers ranged from complimentary meals and park admissions to retail discounts and free services, providing opportunities for veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families to enjoy special benefits during the holiday weekend.

Restaurant Freebies and Discounts

Numerous restaurant chains participated in Memorial Day 2017 promotions, offering complimentary meals and discounts to military personnel. These offers served as a way to honor service members while providing them with dining opportunities.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill provided a free lunch or dinner entrée to active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and retired military personnel on Memorial Day. Similarly, McCormick & Schmick's offered complimentary lunch or dinner at participating locations to active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, and veterans.

Shoney's participated by offering an All-American Burger at no cost to all active-duty military personnel and veterans. Twin Peaks extended a free menu item from their Military Appreciation Menu to all military members on Memorial Day. Hooters provided a free entrée—options including a burger, buffalo chicken salad, or 10-piece wings—upon presentation of military identification.

Pizza establishments also joined the Memorial Day promotions. Pie Five Pizza offered a free personalized pizza to customers who presented military ID on Memorial Day. Chuck E. Cheese provided veterans with a free personal-sized one-topping pizza, though this required either printing a coupon or displaying it on a mobile device.

Additional restaurant discounts included: - Applebee's offered up to 10% off with valid military ID - Cinnabon provided 15% savings at participating locations daily with military ID - Dunkin' Donuts offered 10% off all online orders every day with Veterans Advantage membership - IHOP provided 10% off for retired military and veterans - Lone Star Steakhouse offered 20% off on Mondays and 10% all other days with valid military ID - McCallister's Deli provided a free meal to all active-duty military personnel

Park and Attraction Admissions

Memorial Day Weekend 2017 provided complimentary access to various parks and attractions, particularly for military personnel and their families.

Theme parks offered special admission deals during the holiday weekend. Kings Dominion, Kings Island, and Knott's Berry Farm provided free park admission to active military personnel, veterans, and retired servicemembers from May 27-29, 2017.

National parks and monuments offered free admission to all visitors during Veterans Day weekend, November 11-12, 2017. This free access applied broadly beyond just military personnel, allowing all Americans to enjoy the nation's natural treasures during the holiday period.

Museums and cultural institutions also participated in Memorial Day promotions. The Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana offered free admission to U.S. military veterans on November 11, with additional opportunities to enter a drawing to win a flight in a T-6 Texan. The Aerospace Museum of California provided free admission to all guests on Veterans Day, allowing visitors to view historic military and civilian aircraft up close.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City extended free admission to veterans from Wednesday, November 8 through Sunday, November 12, as part of a five-day tribute honoring service members through talks and events.

Blue Star Museums provided free access from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, offering complimentary admission to museums across the country.

Retail and Service Discounts

Numerous retailers and service providers offered Memorial Day discounts specifically for military personnel and veterans. These discounts extended across various sectors, from home improvement to personal care.

Home improvement stores participated with special offers. The Home Depot provided a 10% discount to all military veterans on Memorial Day, as well as on Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. Lowe's offered a 10% discount to veterans and active-duty service members every day by signing up for a MyLowes card (not a credit card), though this represented a change from previous practice when Veterans Day was one of the few days this discount was available.

Personal care and service businesses also offered military discounts. Great Clips salons provided veterans with either a free haircut on November 11 or a free haircut card redeemable until December 31. Sports Clips locations offered free haircuts to active-duty U.S. service members and veterans on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, 2017, with valid proof of service.

Other retail discounts included: - Onessimo Fine Art: 10% off purchases - Polished Nail Spa: 10% off the bill - Revolution Dating: 25% off membership packages for veterans and first responders - Studio E Gallery: 10% off purchases - Under Armour: 10% off plus free shipping for military, veterans, and first responders - Walgreens: 20% discount to all veterans, active-duty military, and their immediate families on Veterans Day 2016 (must present a Walgreens Rewards card and valid military ID or proof of service)

Target offered a Veterans Day military discount at stores and Target.com from November 7-11, 2017. Southeastern Grocers, which includes BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, provided a 10% discount to active military and veterans on qualifying grocery purchases on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017.

Hotel Accommodations

Several hotel chains offered special discounts for military personnel and their families during the Memorial Day 2017 period. Super 8 provided a 20% discount for reservations for current and retired military personnel and their spouses, as well as veterans and their families, for stays booked between October 11, 2017, and December 4, 2017, and completed by July 31, 2018.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment offered location-based discounts or free admission to veterans and active-duty military personnel. The promotion included SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, Busch Gardens Tampa, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Sesame Place Langhorne. However, the program did not include Discovery Cove in Orlando or Aquatica, SeaWorld's Waterpark. Additionally, SeaWorld was offering 1,000 free nights to military members and their families through the Military Ticket Program.

Ruby Tuesday provided free appetizers to all former and active-duty service members of the military on Veterans Day.

Conclusion

The Memorial Day 2017 holiday period offered numerous freebies and discounts specifically designed to honor military personnel and their families. Restaurant chains provided complimentary meals and discounts, while parks and attractions offered free admission. Retailers and service providers extended special pricing, and hotels provided accommodation discounts. These offers represented a significant opportunity for veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families to enjoy special benefits during the holiday weekend.

While many of these offers were specifically targeted to military personnel, some attractions like national parks extended free admission to all visitors during certain periods. The variety of available options spanned dining, entertainment, retail, and travel, providing multiple ways for Americans to both honor military service and enjoy the holiday.

The Memorial Day 2017 promotions demonstrated the ongoing commitment of businesses and organizations to recognize and appreciate the sacrifices made by military personnel and their families through tangible benefits and special offers.

Sources

1. Treat Yo' Self – Memorial Day Weekend Deals & Freebies
2. Here are 30 free things to do and eat for Veterans Day 2017
3. Veterans Day 2017 free deals
4. Veterans Day 2017 list of freebies and deals
5. Deals for Veterans