Veterans Day in NYC 2026: The Parade, and What's Closed

Veterans Day 2026 is Wednesday, November 11, and the New York City Veterans Day Parade steps off at 12:30pm from Fifth Avenue and 26th Street. It’s free to watch, and its organizer bills it as the largest Veterans Day parade in the country.

It falls midweek this year, so the city mostly works around it. Public schools and the public libraries close.

The short answer

• The parade: Wednesday, November 11, 12:30pm, north up Fifth Avenue from 26th Street. Free.
• Closed: NYC public schools and the New York Public Library’s branches.
• Parking: alternate side parking is suspended.
• Veterans: the Intrepid Museum is free with military or veteran ID, every day, not only on November 11.

The parade

The New York City Veterans Day Parade is run by the United War Veterans Council, and 2026 is its 107th. Veterans groups and military units march, and it’s slower and more personal than the big Midtown parades. People shout thank you at strangers all afternoon and mean it.

It steps off at 12:30pm from Fifth Avenue at 26th Street. Before it, at 10:55am, the annual wreath-laying ceremony takes place in Madison Square Park. The organizer hasn’t published where this year’s route ends; in 2023 it ran north to 48th Street.

The Grand Marshal is Suni Williams, the NASA astronaut and retired Navy captain. The Honorary Marshal is Navy veteran Vicki Bello.

Where to watch

Pick your stretch by what’s around it. The start, near Madison Square Park in the 20s, is the best of them. Come at 10:55am for the wreath-laying, and stay for a spot at the barrier.

• Near the start, Fifth Avenue in the mid 20s: you see every unit as it steps off, and Madison Square Park is right there for a bench and a coffee.
• The 30s: the stretch past the Empire State Building at 34th Street. A good photo with the flags.
• The 40s: busier with office workers on a weekday. Near 42nd Street, the New York Public Library’s main building is on the route, but it’s closed for the holiday.

Crossing Fifth Avenue gets hard once the parade is moving. Pick your side early.

Getting there

Take the subway. Fifth Avenue is closed to traffic along the route while the parade runs.

• For the start: the R and W to 23 St, at Broadway and Fifth Avenue, or the F and M to 23 St at Sixth Avenue.
• For the middle: the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R and W to 34 St–Herald Square, a block west of Fifth.
• For the north end: the 7 to 5 Av, or the B, D, F and M to 42 St–Bryant Park.

Buses that use Fifth Avenue have been detoured for the parade in past years. Check mta.info the day before. New to the subway? Read the NYC subway for first timers.

What’s closed on Veterans Day 2026

• NYC public schools are closed on Wednesday, November 11. Plan for kids at the parade, and for a busier day at kid-friendly places. Our NYC with kids guide has ideas.
• The New York Public Library is closed, all branches. That includes the main building on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street.
• Alternate side parking is suspended for the day, per NYC DOT’s 2026 calendar. Other parking rules still apply.

If a museum is part of your day, check its own site: November 11 is a Wednesday, and some museums close on Wednesdays every week regardless of the holiday.

For veterans

• The Intrepid Museum on the Hudson at 46th Street is free for US military and veterans with valid ID, all year. Accepted ID includes a military ID card, a DD-214, a VA Veterans Identification Card, or a veteran designation on a state driver’s license. Book the free ticket online or get it at the box office. The name on the ticket has to match your ID.
• The Intrepid’s annual Veterans Day ceremony is on Wednesday, November 11, from 3:30 to 4:30pm, with a wreath laid in the Hudson River for service members and the ship’s former crew. It’s free and also livestreamed. The museum’s listings disagree on whether you need a museum ticket to attend in person, so check its event page before you go.

The rest of the season

• Things to do in NYC in November 2026
• NYC Marathon 2026 spectator guide
• Rockefeller tree lighting 2026
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular 2026
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026 viewing guide
• What’s open on Thanksgiving in NYC 2026

Questions about anything in this guide? Reach MUSEENYC at museenyc.art@gmail.com or @museenyc on Instagram.

The parade is free. The rest of November → museenyc.com