About 80,000 San Diegans are expected to line the Embarcadero, waving American flags, for the 31st Annual San Diego Veterans Day Parade.
Community members will honor veterans from all branches of the military and their contributions to the country at this free public event on Saturday, Nov. 11. The theme selected for this year is "A Tribute To Heroes At Home."
A retired Navy Captain Jack Ensch will serve as the 2017 Grand Marshal. He served more than 30 years in the military and later became the Director of Military Marketing for the San Diego Padres Baseball Club, according to Veteran Tributes. While working as a director there, he created the only military marketing department in professional sports at the time.
At 11 a.m. the one-mile parade route will kick off on Harbor Drive, at the start line by the Fountain Plaza at the Waterfront Park.
The parade will make its way south on North Harbor Drive, past the Wyndham Bayside Hotel, the B Street Pier and Broadway. Then the parade will proceed past the USS Midway to Pacific Highway and turn left to the Dismissal Area by 1 p.m.
For the best possible view, head to the posted parade viewing areas along the entire route from the south side of the start line. There is also excellent viewing space along N Harbor Drive, on both sides of Broadway, between N Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway, as well as between Broadway and G Street.
Parade Marshaling activity will block viewing areas by the Grandstands along Harbor Drive in front of the park. There are no areas to watch the parade behind, or north of, the start line. That includes the sidewalks behind the start line. This space is closed to the public.
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Due to extremely limited parking, parade organizers strongly recommended taking advantage of public transportation. There may be some parking on streets downtown in Little Italy or on W Harbor Drive, but it's not guaranteed. The community is encouraged to arrive an hour ahead of time to reach the parade.
One of the best ways to get to the parade is using the Trolley. The Green, Orange or Blue Line Trolley Station have parking available.
Get off the Trolley at the Santa Fe Depot station downtown to arrive within two blocks of prime viewing areas.
The Grand Stands on the east side of N Harbor Drive between the start line and Ash Street will have "Honor Seating" reserved for Veterans and their families. But there will also be several open sections with seats available to the public.
There are more than 100,000 active duty military service members residing in San Diego, according to the parade organizers.
