Downtown Jacksonville gears up this Wednesday, November 11, for the city's annual Veterans Day parade, stepping off at 11:01 a.m. The route begins on Water Street in front of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts and finishes at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
The parade route runs from Water Street via Hogan Street, Bay Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, staying on the north side of the river and not crossing Main Street Bridge. The event is presented by The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A., per the City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government Facebook post, and is described in it as honoring the men and women who have served the nation.
Per the post, organizers say the parade will draw more than 2,500 participants, a lineup the post describes as including veteran organizations, active-duty and retired military units, local high school marching bands, and Junior ROTC detachments. Grand marshals and parade floats round out the procession, according to the same announcement, which also bills the event as the largest Veterans Day observance in Florida.
Getting Downtown and Finding Parking
The city's special events page provides parking tips and road closure information ahead of the parade. A snippet from that page, last updated August 25, 2026, notes that rolling closures will occur at listed intersections as the parade progresses, including at A. Philip Randolph Boulevard and Bay Street, and at A. Philip Randolph Boulevard and Ashley Street.
The same snippet indicates that certain street parking spaces and meters will be bagged on November 10, including sections of Bay Street between Hogan Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard between Bay Street and Duval Street. A separate report from Action News Jax describes this year's march as covering a 1.32-mile Downtown route.
Where to Watch
For this year's parade, the city encourages spectators to gather safely downtown, wear red, white and blue, and wave American flags, with Water Street, Hogan Street, and Bay Street suggested as viewing locations, according to a 2026 announcement from jacksonville.gov.
With the parade set to step off at 11:01 a.m. Wednesday, downtown workers, families and veterans alike are expected to line Bay Street to watch the procession pass before it continues to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
