City of Sarasota: Veterans Day Parade set for Saturday, Nov. 11

Sarasota, FL (Oct. 26, 2023): The City of Sarasota in conjunction with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, will host its annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Osprey Avenue/Main Street in downtown Sarasota and will move westward on Main Street, ending at Gulfstream Avenue.

The festivities will culminate with an 11 a.m. ceremony at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park at the corner of Gulfstream Avenue and Main Street, recognizing the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month when the armistice was signed in 1918, ending World War I. 

This year’s parade theme is “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.” The ceremony will feature guest speaker Carlos J. Moreira. Moreira spent 15 years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he traveled worldwide as he served. Moreira now works at the University of South Florida where he is the Director for Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs, as well as being the chair for SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society.

The parade will include the color guards from the Sarasota Police Department, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and Sarasota County Fire Department; antique military vehicles and Jeeps; marching bands and students from Sarasota Military Academy, Booker, Riverview, Sarasota and Venice high schools; North Port Young Marines; Boy Scouts of America; Girl Scouts of the USA; and many other veteran groups, community organizations and local dignitaries.

A medley of patriotic songs will be performed by Master Sgt. Robert McDonald, retired lead singer for the U.S. Army chorus, and the Sarasota Choral Artists, led by Dr. Joseph Holt, retired Director of the U.S. Army Chorus.

Downtown is expected to be busy with the parade and the Sarasota Farmers Market occurring at the same time. Visitors are encouraged to be patient. As gaps open in the parade, Sarasota Police Officers will escort pedestrians across Main Street.

For more information, contact Dan Kennedy, Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee Chairman, at 941-812-5406.

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About the City of Sarasota:  Distinguished by U.S. News and World Report as the No. 5 Best Place to Live in the U.S. and the top place in Florida, the City of Sarasota is a diverse and inclusive community located on Florida’s Suncoast with 55,000 year-round residents, several internationally recognized cultural arts venues, stunning sunsets along Lido Beach and Major League spring training baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. Learn more about us at www.SarasotaFL.Gov