Veterans Day Parade back in Fresno for in-person salute to service members

The Veterans Day Parade was back in-person this year.

The largest Veterans Day parade in the country marched along downtown Fresno on Thursday in its 102nd year.

The Central Valley Veterans Day Parade began in 1919 and only took a break during World War II.

Last year, the parade could not happen in typical fashion due to state and local restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The parade was aired online for the audience to watch from home.

This year, the opening ceremony began at the grandstand in front of City Hall on P Street and featured a helicopter flyover, according to parade coordinator Virginia Cardinal.

In tradition, the parade kicked off at 11:11 a.m. with parade participants marching down P Street and turning onto Fresno Street and onto M Street. The parade then turned onto Tulare Street and ended in front of Chukchansi Park.

The grand marshals this year were Linda and Scott Philip, both in the Air Force, who are also this year’s powerhouse couple.

The parade featured the Marine Corps color guard, the Fresno State Band, the 144th Fighter Wing and Purple Heart members.

“In the last 33 days our staff and new volunteers excelled in teamwork and adaptation to once again make this the largest parade in the United States,” Cardinal said.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.