Auburn's 59th Annual Veterans Parade & Observance

Since 1965, the City of Auburn has honored our Veterans. Plan to join attend this year’s event on Saturday, November 9 at 11:00am on Main Street in downtown Auburn.

The 2024 parade marks the 59th anniversary of this signature event in Auburn. Over the years, Auburn’s Veterans Parade has become one of the largest parades of its’ kind in the United States. The parade boasts over 4,000 participants and over 175 units including military vehicles and equipment, military and veteran units, over 20 marching bands, ROTC Units, antique military vehicles and classic cars, community groups and more.

The day starts bright and early with an American Legion-sponsored community breakfast at the Auburn Senior Activity Center from 7:00am – 9:00am. The breakfast is followed by a Remembrance Ceremony and Lighting of the Flame at Veterans Memorial Park at 10:45am. A handful of Food Trucks will be available adjacent to the parade route from 10am – 2pm. A lunch is held directly after the parade and is a joint effort between the City of Auburn and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, where they recognize their Outstanding Service to Veterans Award Winners. A VFW Open House and the state’s largest marching band competition conclude the day.

The focal point of the day’s activities in the 11:00am parade, which typically commences with a military flyover and a UH-1H Huey helicopter flyover. The City of Auburn invites a variety of dignitaries to participate in the parade. These dignitaries are the Commanding Officers for each branch of the local military, the State Commander for the congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organizations and various elected officials. The Event Staff works with local car dealerships to secure parade vehicles for the 40+ participating dignitaries, as they are acknowledged by the thousands of spectators as they make their way down the parade route.

Spectators will want to keep a lookout for the Huey helicopter fuselage traveling down the parade route on a flatbed trailer. Be sure to catch sight of the numerous antique military vehicles, the replica Nimitz class aircraft carrier and a replica Stergen class submarine. Viewers will delight in the numerous marching band performers and the patriotic salute given to our area Veterans!

Eligible groups can register for the parade thru October 11 at auburnwa.gov/vets. Spectators are encouraged to check the website for additional event details: www.auburnwa.gov/vets