Charlotte Veterans Day parade Nov. 7: route, time, festival

Last checked Nov. 2, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the Carolinas Freedom Foundation, Veterans Bridge Home, the City of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, linked below.

Updated Nov. 2: the parade page now gives Saturday, Nov. 7, throughout; parade entries closed Oct. 31.

Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Charlotte marks it the Saturday before: the Salute to Veterans Parade steps off on Tryon Street at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, and the free Carolinas Veterans Day Festival runs at Romare Bearden Park the same day.

Who to call

• Parade questions and entries: Susan Yarber, Carolinas Freedom Foundation, 980-422-3733
• Festival: Veterans Bridge Home
• Street closures: CharMeck 311, 704-336-7600
• Emergency: 911

The Salute to Veterans Parade

The Carolinas Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit, runs Charlotte’s Veterans Day parade. Its parade page lists:

• Date and time: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, stepping off at 11 a.m.
• Route: from North Tryon Street at 9th Street to South Tryon Street at Brooklyn Village Avenue, through the center of Uptown.
• Who marches: high school bands, pipe, drum and bugle corps, Junior ROTC units, Scout troops, active military, first-responder units and veteran organizations.
• Where to watch: the foundation says marching units are best seen on Tryon Street from 9th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and floats toward Brooklyn Village Avenue.
• Entries: group, float and vehicle registration closed Saturday, Oct. 31.

The foundation’s Freedom Awards Breakfast is Friday, Nov. 6, according to its home page, which does not yet list a time or venue.

The Carolinas Veterans Day Festival

Veterans Bridge Home holds its festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Romare Bearden Park, 300 S. Church St. It is free. The organizer lists:

• a free hot dog lunch for guests who show proof of registration;
• live music;
• activities for children of all ages;
• a hot dog eating contest.

What is open and closed on Nov. 11

• Trash and recycling: no change. The city’s 2026 holiday collection schedule says Veterans Day brings no collection delays or schedule changes. More on our trash and recycling page.
• Schools: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 2026-27 traditional calendar (PDF) lists Wednesday, Nov. 11, as the Veterans Day holiday.
• Shopping: the Southern Christmas Show opens on Veterans Day, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at The Park Expo and Conference Center, 800 Briar Creek Road. See our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Parking and getting there

The parade uses Tryon Street through Uptown. The organizer has not published a street closure list; check our road construction and closures page and the city’s street closure map before you drive in. Uptown decks, meters and the LYNX lines are on our getting around page.

What this means for you

• Go Saturday, Nov. 7: the parade and the festival are the same morning, both in Uptown.
• Register ahead for the festival if you want the free lunch.
• More this season: things to do this month and Thanksgiving in Charlotte.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Charlotte Veterans Day parade in 2026?

The Salute to Veterans Parade is Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m., the Carolinas Freedom Foundation says. It runs on Tryon Street from 9th Street to Brooklyn Village Avenue in Uptown.

Is there a Veterans Day festival in Charlotte?

Yes. Veterans Bridge Home holds the free Carolinas Veterans Day Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Romare Bearden Park, 300 S. Church St., with a free lunch for registered guests, live music and children’s activities.

Is trash pickup delayed for Veterans Day in Charlotte?

No. The city’s 2026 holiday collection schedule says Veterans Day brings no collection delays or schedule changes.

Do CMS students have school on Veterans Day 2026?

No. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 2026-27 traditional calendar lists Wednesday, Nov. 11, as the Veterans Day holiday.