Airfares are sky-high and a tank of gas is more expensive than a motel room, but while that may stop some local residents from leaving, it won't keep thousands of tourists from arriving this Memorial Day weekend. Whether you plan to embrace the masses or flee to the suburbs, here are some places to be.

To remember the soldiers:

Most memorials begin Sunday, with a noontime Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally to depart from the Pentagon and end at the Vietnam Memorial. At 1:30, speakers and live music will honor veterans at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Two concerts on the eve of the Monday holiday begin at 8 p.m. - the National Symphony Orchestra, headlined by Gladys Knight, on the Capitol's West Lawn, and the U.S. Marine Band at Vienna's Wolf Trap National Park, followed by fireworks promised to rival the Fourth of July.

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Both concerts are free, but due to limited space, concertgoers are advised to take public transportation and arrive at least one hour early.

"If it's beautiful outside, people will be lined up down the street to get in," said a Wolf Trap spokesman, adding the park reaches capacity at 7,000.

The District's Memorial Day parade, one of several around the region featuring veterans groups, floats and marching bands, will begin 2 p.m. Monday at the corner of Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street Northwest.

Culture on the cheap:

To go, or not to go - that is the question. But it's easier to answer when it doesn't cost a penny. The Shakespeare Theater Company is offering free evening performances of "Hamlet" tonight through Sunday, June 1. TIckets go quickly but are available online at shakespearetheater.org/about/ffa.

For those more inclined to thrills, Largo's Six Flags America theme park is offering season passes through Monday for the price of regular admission, $49.99. Buy the pass online at sixflags.com/america and save $15.

Get to know your neighbors:

A small-town atmosphere will be felt over the suburbs of Rockville and Vienna during their respective Hometown Holidays and Viva Vienna, running through Monday. Both promise plenty of food, children's activities and live music, including the irrepressible Rick Springfield of "Jessie's Girl" fame in Rockville, and soulful star Mary Ann Redmond on Saturday night in Vienna.

Vienna "is a community that tries very hard to be a small town, and events of this type reinforce that image of ourselves and of the values that are important to us," said John Brunow, a spokesman for the town's Rotary Club, which organizes the festival.

Community farmers markets are in swing, too, with more local produce arriving each week. Gaithersburg's Main Street Pavilion market is within walking distance of shops, parks and an arts barn with galleries and studios. It runs Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and families can purchase plants for a summer's supply of fresh garden vegetables and herbs.

For a list of farmers markets in your area, visit apps.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.

lfabel@dcexaminer.com