The Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade is scheduled to return to downtown Jacksonville at 11:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. The free event is organized by the City of Jacksonville’s Office of Sports & Entertainment and will again be presented by The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
The procession begins on Water Street outside the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Public viewing areas will be available on a first-come, first-served basis along Bay Street between Hogan Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, according to information included in a release from the law firm.
The City describes the event as Florida’s largest Veterans Day observance, with more than 2,500 participants annually. Veterans groups, JROTC units, marching bands, military vehicles and floats are expected to take part. The 11:01 a.m. start is timed one minute after the 11 a.m. armistice hour associated with the end of World War I fighting.
Spectators do not need to register. Those heading downtown should allow additional travel time and check the City of Jacksonville’s Veterans Day Parade event page for road-closure, parking and event updates before leaving.
Applications to march in the 2026 parade have closed. The law firm said people and organizations interested in participating in or supporting future parades can contact [email protected].
Ron Sholes, a Gulf War-era U.S. Navy veteran and the firm’s founder, said the firm’s support began in 2013 as costs for traffic control, security and logistics put pressure on the future of the downtown event. The firm says its attorneys and staff walk the route each year and distribute commemorative shirts; it reported distributing about 10,000 shirts along the roughly 2.5-mile route in 2023.
