San Bernardino is folding two milestones into one Saturday: a Veterans Day parade down Mt. Vernon Avenue and a block party marking 100 years of Route 66. The free, public event runs from morning parade to afternoon street festival, with a military salute ceremony bridging the two.
According to the Daily Bulletin, the veterans parade kicks off at 9 a.m. and runs through 10:30 a.m., traveling south on Mt. Vernon Avenue from 16th Street down to La Plaza Park. San Bernardino will celebrate Route 66 as it enters its centennial year, the outlet reports, tying the parade route and the day's later festivities to the historic highway that runs through the city.
Military Salute Ceremony Honors Local Veterans
Once the parade wraps, a military salute ceremony recognizing local veterans is set to begin at 11 a.m. at La Plaza Park, the same report notes. The ceremony serves as the hinge point between the morning's parade and the afternoon's street party, both centered around the same stretch of Mt. Vernon Avenue.
From there, the Route 66 Centennial Block Party takes over, running until 4 p.m. on Mt. Vernon Avenue between Eighth Street and Spruce Street, with activity also spilling into parts of La Plaza Park, per the same account. Organizers have lined up live music, food vendors, classic cars on display, and cultural performances including ballet folklórico, with the Indian Springs Band, New Joy Band and Arroyo High School listed as performers.
Route 66's Mother Road Milestone
The San Bernardino Public Library describes the November 7 event as featuring a patriotic parade, community festivities, and a large-scale centennial celebration, saying the city will honor both its veterans and “the 100-year legacy of the Mother Road.” The library's page notes Route 66 was commissioned on November 11, 1926, making this year the highway's hundredth anniversary. A city news-flash snippet also references two Route 66 centennial celebrations planned for the fall, culminating in the Veterans Day Parade and Route 66 Centennial Finale on November 7, though the full context of that notice wasn't available.
Parking and Event Details
Attendees can park on nearby neighborhood streets, the Daily Bulletin's report states, and additional event information is available through the City of San Bernardino's website. The celebration is free and open to the public across both the morning parade and the afternoon block party.
San Bernardino's Veterans Day tradition has deep roots along the same stretch of Mt. Vernon Avenue. The San Bernardino Sun reported that the city's 17th annual Veterans Day Salute and Parade in 2017 began at 11 a.m. at 14th Street and Mt. Vernon Avenue and concluded at La Plaza Park, with more than 100 classic cars expected that year. That 2017 ceremony included a 21-gun salute and Taps performed by the VFW 6467 Honor Guard. Among those who took part was Tom Hernandez, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to the same report.
