Veterans Day 2026 in NYC: parade time and route, street closures, and what's open and closed Wednesday

Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and New York marks it with the country's largest Veterans Day parade on Fifth Avenue. It is also a day when many city services pause. Here is what to know, from the city's own pages and the parade organizers.

The parade

• When: A wreath-laying ceremony begins at 10:55 a.m. at Madison Square Park, and the parade steps off at 12:30 p.m., Secret NYC reported.
• Route: Fifth Avenue between 25th and 48th streets, with dispersal on East and West 45th Street between Sixth and Madison avenues, according to Secret NYC.
• Who: The United War Veterans Council, which produces the parade, says this is the 107th edition, with more than 20,000 marchers, 280-plus marching units, 25-plus floats and 150-plus vehicles. NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy veteran Sunita "Suni" Williams is grand marshal, and Navy veteran Vicki Bello of the Theatre Development Fund is honorary marshal.
• On TV: WABC-TV (Channel 7) plans to carry the parade live from 12:30 p.m. and stream it on its platforms, Secret NYC reported.

Street closures

The city's Weekly Traffic Advisory lists closures for the parade on Wednesday at the NYPD's discretion, plus a separate Veterans Day festival closing Broadway between Liberty Street and Battery Place in Lower Manhattan. A special-event construction embargo runs through Nov. 11. Secret NYC lists these closures around the formation area:

• West 24th Street between Fifth and Seventh avenues
• West 25th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues
• East and West 26th, 27th and 28th streets between Madison and Sixth avenues
• Broadway between West 23rd and West 29th streets, and between Fifth Avenue and East 23rd Street
• Fifth Avenue between West 23rd and West 26th streets

Expect the parade route itself, Fifth Avenue up to 48th Street, to be closed to traffic during the march.

What's closed

• Schools: All NYC public schools are closed, as are the P311 parent hotline and Family Welcome Centers, 311 says.
• Libraries: All branches of the city's public library systems are closed.
• Government: Government offices are closed, including the DMV, city and state courts, Social Security offices and post offices. There is no mail delivery.
• Trash: No trash, recycling or compost collection. If Wednesday is your pickup day, set material out Wednesday evening for collection beginning Thursday, Nov. 12, the Sanitation Department says, and expect delays after the holiday.

Parking and getting around

• Alternate side parking is suspended. Parking meters and all other parking rules remain in effect, because Veterans Day is not one of the city's major legal holidays on the 311 parking calendar.
• School zones: Parking is allowed in school zones while schools are in recess, but some schools may be open, so check before you park.
• Staten Island Ferry: runs on a normal schedule, 311 says.

More for the week, including the Council votes and holiday markets: NYC week ahead, Nov. 9 to 15.