 “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude.”
-- Harry S. Truman --
 Flags, families and tens of thousands of you will line Main Street in Auburn for the 59th annual Veterans Parade next Saturday, Nov. 9. The City of Auburn is proud to be celebrating its 59th anniversary of this signature event, which started in 1965! Over the years, Auburn’s Veterans Parade has become one of the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi and has led to the National Veterans Day Committee and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs having once again selected our city as one of the few Regional Sties for Veterans Day Observance in 2024.
The City of Auburn is proud to be a Vietnam War Commemorative Partner and will also be paying special tribute to the service, valor and sacrifice of those who served in the Vietnam War.
 The parade boasts over 170 entries and over 4,000 parade participants showcasing American strength of will, endurance and purpose. The parade will feature over 12 marching bands, including American’s First Corps Band and Navy Band Northwest. Spectators will enjoy the procession of military entries, veteran units, ROTC Units, community and scouting groups, intermixed with floats, classic cars and other entries of interest. Be sure to catch sight of the antique military vehicles and equipment including a PBR, a model submarine, a Huey helicopter fuselage and a 21-foot replica of a Nimitz aircraft carrier.
 We encourage spectators to arrive early, bring a folding chair, a flag, their best salute and plenty of tissue. A handful of Food Trucks will be located on South Division Street from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Parade emcees will be located at the corner of Main St & Division Street and at the corner of Main and B Street NE.
 There are numerous other events in Auburn to celebrate and honor Veterans:
American Legion Community Breakfast
Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 – 9 a.m.
Auburn Senior Activity Center
Co-sponsored by the American Legion Post #78 and the City of Auburn, the annual American Legion Community Breakfast is held at the Auburn Senior Activity Center, 808 Ninth Street SE, on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 7 - 9 a.m. A generous breakfast for $10 includes pancakes, eggs, ham and juice or coffee. Tickets available at the door.
Veterans Remembrance Ceremony and Lighting of the Flame
Saturday, Nov. 9, 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Park
This special ceremony will take place on Nov. 9 from 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. at Auburn’s Veterans Memorial Park, 411 E Street NE, and will feature patriotic music, an honor guard and 21-gun salute. Once lit, the flame at the Veterans Memorial will be guarded for 24 hours.
Veterans Day Marching Band Competition
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2 – 10 p.m.
Auburn Memorial Stadium
The competition starts at 1:00 p.m. at Auburn Memorial Stadium, 801 Fourth St. NE, Auburn. Several bands will compete in the field competition, which includes great music, drill and precision performances from some of the best high school marching bands in the Pacific Northwest. Admission is charged at the stadium gate (discount ticket prices available for students, children and seniors).
 Thank you, City of Auburn, for your continued support of our veterans and for making our annual parade one of the largest in the country! Visit our website for more info, or contact the City of Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation Department at 253-931-3043.
A concept of B Street Plaza looking north towards the theater
At Monday's City Council Study Session, Parks Arts, and Recreation and Public Works staff briefed our council on downtown infrastructure plans, which includes a new and improved downtown theater.
 Over the course of the next few years, the City will continue efforts to revitalize Downtown Auburn with the Downtown Infrastructure Improvements Project. This project will replace infrastructure on Auburn Avenue and East Main Street that is at or near the end of its useful service life, make streetscape improvements that help create a welcoming environment, and start the planning and design process to replace the Auburn Avenue Theater.
A concept of B Street Plaza looking north towards the theater
Replaced infrastructure includes water, sewer, and storm utilities, roadway pavement, and sidewalks on East Main Street from Auburn Avenue to B Street SE (B Street Plaza) and on Auburn Avenue from 1st Street NE to East Main Street. The project will also replace the traffic signal at East Main Street/Auburn Avenue.
Learn more about the project on the City of Auburn website. We'll update as the project moves through bid into construction and more!
 If you're anything like me -- a lifelong Auburn resident -- seeing commotion inside the old Sun Break Cafe must have filled your heart with anticipation. For too long, the building at A Street Southwest and 1st Street Southwest, flanked by new apartment buildings, has sat empty after Sun Break closed in 2022 due to COVID.
Well, I'm happy (pun intended) to report, there's life again! And this time, it's as a seafood boil restaurant!
Happy Crab owner Lily Wu
Our Economic Development and Multimedia staff visited the restaurant this past week during their soft opening, and what they found was a clean, warm, classy and peaceful environment with an Asian twist -- the owner, Lily Wu, is from a small town in China, and she's here to share her culture through dishes and boils with freshly made noodles and delicious sea food.
 While I haven't tried it myself, I'm told everything is scrumptious -- it's fresh and beautifully seasoned.
Staff had a great time meeting Lily, who has worked hard to open several restaurants in King County.
Welcome to Auburn, Lily! I can't wait to try your food when you restaurant officially opens Saturday, Nov. 9! If you're downtown for the parade, maybe stop by after.
Mayor Nancy Backus visiting the Auburn Boeing plant's Additive Manufacturing Center in Sept. 2022
I am pleased to hear that a new contract between Boeing and the International Association of Machinists will have a ratification vote on Monday. I want to congratulate Boeing leadership and IAM District 751 President Jon Holden for their work to bring the 33,000 union members back to the jobs they love with improved wages and benefits and for knowing that Boeing is a significant economic engine in the Puget Sound.
Auburn’s aerospace manufacturing and the jobs that go with it help everyone in our city and throughout our state. I hope the tentative agreement can be ratified next week, and our workers can return to work building the next new airplane in Puget Sound!
 Last week we wrapped our final of seven Safe Auburn: Community Conversations meetings held across the City of Auburn. Hundreds of you joined us to talk public safety, youth violence, traffic, graffiti, community service, civic engagement, and so much more.
 Just because the meetings have ended doesn't mean the dialogue has to! The conversation is continuing at SpeakUpAuburn.org, our city's outreach platform. There, we have meeting recaps, survey questions, and a tool to capture additional questions and provide even more answers.
 To participate, click the "Subscribe" button at SpeakUpAuburn and stay informed -- we'll send out further newsletters as we continue to compile data and feedback. Expect all of that information to be posted on SpeakUpAuburn and shared out via email and social media.
 Keep your eyes peeled for emails in the coming months for the second part of our Safe Auburn: Community Conversations series. We'll come to the table with ideas, solutions and collaboration opportunities. Stay tuned!
 Extra! Extra!! Read all about it!
Applications for the Miss Auburn 2025 competition opened today, November 1st! Don’t miss your chance to shine and make a difference in our community. Get ready to showcase your talents and be part of an incredible journey!
The Miss Auburn & Miss Auburn's Teen Scholarship program is a transformative platform for women, empowering them to create positive change in their lives and communities. The organization provides the opportunity to develop essential leadership skills, access mentorship programs, and unlock several scholarship!
 It was rainy, it was showery, it was drizzly, it was soggy, it was...wet. But that didn't stop hundreds of you from coming down to Les Gove Park Saturday to trick or treat in style!
 Kudos to all of the wonderful trunks decorated this year, including the Toy Story-themed one crafted by our Human Resources department!
 You can view the entire photo album on Facebook!
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