Saturday, November 11, marks Veterans Day across the U.S., and several events will take place in the Dallas area to commemorate those who served in the nation’s military.
A parade in honor of Dallas veterans had been planned by the Greater Dallas Veterans Foundation for Thursday, but it was canceled due to inclement weather. However, City Council District 4 will hold its annual Veterans Day Parade on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will start at Cedar Crest Cathedral before concluding across from the VA Hospital on S. Lancaster Road.
At the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, Veterans Day ceremonies will also begin at 11 a.m. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General Craig Timberlake is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech. The Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base’s Color Guard will present colors, and the Midlothian High School band will perform music.
The ceremony will also include a rifle salute and a flyover. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and arrive early.
The skyline of Downtown Dallas will be lit up on Saturday night to “Honor Our Heroes.”
Just outside of Dallas, the Plano East Rotary Club is hosting its annual showcase of more than 1,000 American flags at the Red Tail Pavilion at Oak Point Park. Members of the public are invited to come throughout the day to show their respect to veterans and to enjoy patriotic music performed by the Salvation Army Band, Plano Civic Chorus, and Plano Children’s Chorale.
There will also be a flag retirement ceremony and JROTC drills, with the ceremonies scheduled to conclude with a gun salute at dusk.
Farmers Branch is hosting a Veterans Day celebration starting at 10 a.m. at the Farmers Branch Community Center. The celebration will include a speech and patriotic music performed by the Alada Brass. Face painting, a caricature artist, a photo booth, and free hot dogs and hamburgers will be available. Tributes to the military and veterans will also be on display. The celebration will wrap up at 1 p.m.
Grand Prairie will host a Veterans Day ceremony at the Veterans Park Event Center. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with a free lunch from the Rotary Club of Grand Prairie.
In McKinney, a traditional wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.
Downtown Frisco is hosting a “Stars, Stripes and Service” parade beginning at 10 a.m. The parade will include floats and marching bands. Local civic organizations will also be participating along with local high school football teams and cheerleaders. The parade will begin at Toyota Stadium, head east on Main Street, and conclude at North County Road.
For veterans who would rather spend their Saturday having a nice meal instead of going to a ceremony or parade, several restaurants throughout North Texas are offering special discounts and even free meals to veterans for the holiday. An exhaustive list of these restaurants provided by The Dallas Express can be found here.
