Veterans Day Parade

Join the City of Jacksonville as we honor the courage and sacrifice of our veterans and active-duty service members. If your group would like to participate in the 2026 Veterans Day Parade, review the below information prior to the application opening!

PARTICIPANT GROUPS

• Military and/or Military Support Groups
• Duval County Public High Schools 
• Private or Non-Duval County Public Schools
• State-Registered Nonprofit Organizations
• Social Groups and Individuals 
• City of Jacksonville Employees

Participant Application will open on July 27, 2026

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PARADE ENTRY GUIDELINES:
In keeping with the veteran theme of this national observance, entrant preference will be
given to:

• Veteran-related organizations and veteran participants from all of America's wars, including auxiliaries and sons and daughters of these organizations.
• Patriotic organizations with congressional, national, state, or local charters.
• All military units.
• Public and private school marching bands and their Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC).
• Parade-specific entries, such as clowns, stilt-walkers, etc., provided they have a veteran affiliation.
• As space permits, we welcome applications from public agencies and civic, cultural, and non-profit organizations seeking to honor our nation’s veterans.

• Participants must strictly adhere to all parade-day instructions. Scheduled times provided to participating groups for setup are mandatory to ensure a timely parade start.
• All participants must report to their assigned starting lineup location; no exceptions. Starting from any other location is prohibited.
• Participants are not permitted to throw any objects into the crowd, including but is not limited to: candy, toys, beads, flags, etc. Violations may result in removal from the parade.
• The parade must proceed without stops for performances. Participants, including special band performances, ROTC units and dance troupes, are not permitted to stop the parade to perform.
• For-profit or commercial entities are prohibited from participating in the parade unless they have received prior written approval from the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports & Entertainment. Unauthorized display of logos or references to organizations other than those listed on the application will result in a $2,000 penalty charge. This penalty charge will be invoiced to the organization as a sponsorship fee.
• Corporations or businesses may only participate with an approved 2026 corporate partnership parade application on file with the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports & Entertainment.
• Parade participants may not possess, display, or throw any objects involving fire, steam, or other hazardous materials during the parade.
• Temporary or permanent revocation may occur if ANYONE (vendor, sponsor, partner, etc.) is observed under the influence of a controlled or uncontrolled substance, exhibits abusive or rude behavior, is uncooperative with event personnel, creates a disturbance, and/or displays conduct detrimental to the event's image.

• Duval County Public High Schools are not required to submit individual proof of insurance. The City of Jacksonville Office of Sports & Entertainment will request insurance on behalf of all DCPS schools.
• Participants using personal vehicles must submit proof of automotive insurance for those vehicles.

• All participants (adults and minors) must have executed a DCPS Field Trip Permission Slip (parent or legal guardian must execute on behalf of minor).
• School representatives are responsible for collecting and retaining these permission slips for a minimum of five (5) years after the event. Permission slips should not be submitted to the City of Jacksonville.

• Applicants will receive written notification of acceptance or rejection on a rolling basis after application review.
• Upon acceptance, participants will receive a parade packet containing instructions, parade information, their division and unit number for lineup, and timeline for submitting any supplemental materials.

DISCLAIMER:
You will need to fully read, understand, and agree to comply with all rules, guidelines, regulations, and insurance requirements set forth for the 2026 City of Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade presented by The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A. Furthermore, you understand that if any member of my group violates these rules, the entire group may be disqualified from participation in parade. I acknowledge that parade details, including its occurrence, may change or be canceled at the sole discretion of the City of Jacksonville for any reason, including compliance with local, state or federal health and safety mandates