I'm Ryan Gunning, a Marine Corps veteran who calls Jacksonville home, and Veterans Day here is something to see. The city calls its Veterans Day Parade the largest observance of its kind in Florida, with more than 2,500 participants every year. It's free, it's downtown, and this year it lands on a Wednesday. Here's what to know if you want to be there, plus a few other ways to show up for the veteran community on the First Coast this month.
When and where
The 2026 Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11:01 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11. That one minute past eleven is on purpose: it nods to the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, when the World War I armistice took effect in 1918.
According to the city's parade page, the route runs about 1.3 miles. It starts on Water Street in front of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, heads east to Hogan Street, turns left on Hogan and right onto Bay Street, then continues east. After passing Lot S it shifts into the westbound lane of Bay Street, turns left onto A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, and wraps up at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Expect grand marshals, senior military leaders, active-duty and retired units, veteran organizations, Junior ROTC detachments, high school marching bands and floats. There are no tickets and no cost.
Where to watch
The city points spectators to Bay Street between Hogan Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. A popular central spot is Ford on Bay, near South Liberty Street and East Bay Street. Every public viewing area is first come, first served, so get there early if you want a spot on the curb. The city also asks folks to wear red, white and blue and bring a flag, which is about the easiest assignment you'll ever get.
Road closures and parking
Because it's a weekday, plan around work and school traffic. Per the city:
- Full closures start at 7 a.m. on Park Street (Stonewall to Bay), Lee Street (Bay to Water) and Water Street (Park to Hogan).
- More closures start at 10 a.m., including parts of Main Street near the Main Street Bridge, Riverside Avenue at the Acosta Bridge on-ramp, the Acosta Bridge off-ramp to Water Street, Forsyth, Monroe, Newnan, A. Philip Randolph and Gator Bowl Boulevard.
- Street parking and meters along Water, Hogan, Bay and A. Philip Randolph will be bagged on November 10, so don't leave a car on those blocks overnight. A downtown garage away from the route is the better bet.
Closure times can change for public safety, so check the city's page the morning of.
More ways to show up this month
The parade is the big one, but it isn't the only thing on the calendar. The City of Jacksonville's Military Affairs and Veterans Department lists several events in November, including:
- November 6: the Veterans Flight Line Run.
- November 7: the Wounded Warrior Project Carry It Forward 5K, and the 2nd Annual UF Health Brain Health Summit.
- November 12 and 18: a veteran service officer (VSO) at the Wesconnett Regional Library, then at the Pablo Creek Library. If you've been putting off a question about your benefits, that's a free, face-to-face way to ask it.
And mark your calendar for Saturday, December 19, when Wreaths Across America comes to Jacksonville National Cemetery on Lannie Road. The main ceremony begins at 11:15 a.m., and everyone is welcome to help place wreaths afterward. Organizers run free shuttles from remote parking on Lem Turner Road.
Why it matters to me
Veterans Day is for the living, for everyone who raised a hand and served. For a lot of us, the best part of a day like this isn't the floats. It's seeing the guy next to you on the curb wearing an old unit hat and realizing you have more in common than you thought.
That's the same idea behind The Calm Seas Project, the nonprofit I founded to get veterans and first responders out on the water together. The weekend before Veterans Day, November 6 to 8, we're hosting our Veteran Wellness Retreat right here in Jacksonville, with charter fishing, breathwork, a sound bath, shared meals and a virtual wellness session. Then the next day, November 10, the Marine Corps turns 251. I wrote about that here, and about free public lands access on Veterans Day here.
If you're downtown on the 11th, look for the veterans around you and say thanks. If you're a veteran yourself, go. You earned the day. Semper Fi.
More about my life on the First Coast is on my Ryan Gunning, Jacksonville page.
Sources: City of Jacksonville: 2026 Veterans Day Parade · City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department: November 2026 calendar · Wreaths Across America Jacksonville: event details
