Preparations begin for 100th Veterans Day Parade celebration

One of the community’s most beloved celebrations hits the century mark this year, and preparations have already begun by its organizers to make sure it is a very memorable event.

Porterville will be kicking off its 100th Annual Veterans Day Parade from the corner of Morton and Main Street at 10 a.m. on November 12, and this year the theme of the parade is Armistice Day in remembrance of what the holiday was called prior to the end of World War ll.

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on Nov. 11 to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning—the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918.

The United States changed the name of the holiday to ‘All Veterans Day’ and later just ‘Veterans Day’ after World War II to honor veterans of that and subsequent conflicts.

“It’s a great deal. We look forward to it, and we are really excited about it,” said one Memorial Board Member. Last year they had

about 120 floats and vendors participating at the parade added the board member. The same day of the parade during the evening a dance will take place for all the Veterans.

“We will have a dance after the parade with a band playing,” said the

board member. “Last year was the first time we did it and we had a pretty good turn out.”

Those who participated on the parade last year will be receiving applications in the mail by the end of August, and for those who wish to become part of the celebration, applications will be available at the Porterville Chamber of Commerce and the Porterville

Veterans Memorial Building at 1900 W Olive Ave.

Food vendor permits will be issued in October every Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building. All food vendors must comply with the guidelines set forth by the Tulare County Health Department.

The last day to turn

in applications will be Oct. 26. If you have further questions you can contact Ed Flory at (559) 784-6554 and leave a message with a telephone number for callback.

“We look forward to the Armistice Celebration,” said the board member. “I hope to see veterans and families along with the community at the parade.”