Hang your flag with pride!
Don your favorite RED, WHITE and BLUE attire!
During the 2009 Week of Valor, we encourage you...no, we challenge you to show your American pride.  
Wear your favorite patriotic colors, raise your American Flag high and show the nation how Jacksonville honors and celebrates our military community!

Join the City of Jacksonville as we honor our veterans and show them that we are
Forever Grateful

This year's parade honors our veterans with military units, marching bands, decorative floats, giant balloons, JROTC units and more!

Click here for a 2008 Veterans Day Parade photo gallery.

DID YOU KNOW? 

• Did you know Veterans Day was formerly known as Armistice Day?
  
  On November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m., World War I officially ended.  On the one year anniversary, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11th "Armistice Day" in honor of the end of the war and to honor World War I veterans.  This day was marked with public celebrations and a two minute halt to business at 11 a.m. In 1938, an act of Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday. 
  
  In 1954, the U.S. Congress and President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor veterans who have protected our freedoms in all wars.
  
  For more information about Veterans Day, visit:
  www.military.com 
  www.history.com

Wednesday, November 11 closures for the Veterans Day Parade

 
Parade Route

• The parade will start at the Prime Osborn Convention Center and on Water Street in front of the Federal Reserve Bank.  Take Water Street (east) continuing east to Independent Drive.  Make a left on Newnan Street (north) to Bay Street.  Make a right on Bay Street (east) continuing on to Gator Bowl Blvd.  Follow Gator Bowl Blvd. ending at the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium parking Lot E (end of parade).

Street Closures on Wednesday, November 11:

• All street parking on the parade route will be prohibited from 5 a.m. until the end of the parade approximately 1 p.m.
  
• Water Street in front of the Federal Reserve Bank, will be closed at 8 a.m. until the end of the parade approximately 1 p.m.
  
• All other street closures will be beginning at 9 a.m. This will be a soft close, meaning you will only be allowed in or across the parade route for work and residential purposes.
  
• At 10:45 a.m. there will be hard closure through the whole parade route, meaning that no one will be allowed in or out along the route until the end of the parade approximately 1 p.m.
  
• In addition to the parade route closures, Hogan Street from Water Street to the St. Johns River will be closed for the entire day.

  

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The City of Jacksonville would like to thank
the following friends and businesses
for their support of the Veterans Day Parade

City of Jacksonville Office of Military Affairs and Veteran Services
City of Jacksonville Office of Volunteer Services
SMG
Naval Station Mayport
NAS Jacksonville


This event is part of the
Make A Scene Downtown! series.