Event
NYC Veterans Day Parade 2026: Midtown Manhattan Marches Up Fifth Avenue on Nov. 11
The nation's largest Veterans Day parade steps off at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 from Fifth Avenue at 26th Street, heading to 50th Street. More than 30,000 marchers join; astronaut Sunita Williams is grand marshal.
By NBT Editors · 2026-11-10
New York City's Veterans Day Parade returns on Wednesday, Nov. 11, stepping off at 12:30 p.m. from Fifth Avenue at 26th Street and marching north to 50th Street. It is the largest Veterans Day parade in the United States, drawing more than 30,000 participants each year.
The parade is produced by the United War Veterans Council. Marchers come from every branch of the military, along with veterans, active-duty members, service organizations and youth cadets. Marching bands, floats, motorcycles and vintage vehicles fill out the procession.
This year's grand marshal is NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams, a retired Navy captain who flew several space missions. Mark Otto, the council's president and executive director and a Marine Corps veteran, said the group was proud to welcome her on the 250th birthday of the United States.
The honorary marshal is Vicki Bello, a Navy veteran and manager of community and veterans programs at the Theatre Development Fund. A native New Yorker, she enlisted in 1985 and served as a radioman at commands including Adak, Alaska, and Ford Island, Hawaii. She later served in the Naval Reserve at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx.
Before the parade, the annual wreath-laying ceremony takes place at 10:55 a.m. in Madison Square Park. Wreaths are presented by veteran representatives, public officials, foreign allies and senior military leaders.
For those who can't make it to Fifth Avenue, ABC 7 New York will broadcast the parade on Channel 7 and its streaming platforms from 12:30 p.m., with anchor Joe Torres and ABC News' Stephanie Ramos hosting alongside reporters along the route. More information is on the United War Veterans Council website.
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