(Updated 10/24/2017)
Returning this year to downtown Lexington, the 2017 Lexington Veterans Day Parade is the culmination of a series of events highlighting the contributions of Central Kentucky’s veterans. During the 2017 Week of Valor, local organizations and community partners are hosting multiple events celebrating veterans.
On Friday, Nov. 3, the City of Lexington will issue a proclamation declaring the Week of Valor.
Events kick off Saturday, Nov. 4 with the Salute to Veterans at the University of Kentucky football game against the University of Mississippi. On Sunday, Nov. 5, the Lexington VA Medical Center is the site of the VA5K, a run to benefit the Fisher House Foundation.
Women Veterans will be honored Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the Lexington Senior Center with a dinner. The event is free, but registration is required via this link. Wednesday evening from 6 – 8 p.m., the community is invited to gather at the Kentucky National Guard Armory to help pack holiday gift boxes to send to members of the military currently deployed overseas.
On Thursday, Nov. 9, Kentucky State University will host a veterans’ recognition event on campus in Bradford Hall at 11 a.m.
A new veterans monument will be dedicated in Lexington’s historic Cove Haven Cemetery on Friday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. The monument recognizes the nearly 500 African-American Veterans laid to rest at Cove Haven who served from the Civil War through modern military conflicts.
Friday evening at 6 p.m. a Veterans Employment Roadmap public forum will held at the Lexington Lions Pavilion at the Bluegrass Fairgrounds at Masterson Station Park. The moderated panel discussion will focus on veteran employment issues, from both the veterans and hiring official’s perspective.
Saturday, Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and a number of public events are taking place throughout central Kentucky.
- 10 a.m. – Appreciation Event at Veterans Park, Lexington
- 11 a.m. – Thomson-Hood Veterans Day Ceremony, Wilmore
- 11 a.m. – Camp Nelson National Cemetery Veterans Day Ceremony, Nicholasville
- 1 p.m. – Veterans Day Celebration, including a performance by the Lexington Singers and remarks from community leaders, downtown Lexington
- 2 p.m. – 2017 Lexington Veterans Day Parade, downtown Lexington
For details on any of the Week of Valor events, visit the Lexington Veterans Day Parade Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LexVeteransDay/events/.
Parade entries open
The Lexington Veterans Day Parade committee continues to accept entries for the 2017 parade. Applications for parade participants can be found online at http://lexveteransdayparade.org/. Parade entry forms are due by October 31.
The parade is sponsored by the Veterans Resource United Central/Southeastern KY (VRUCK), in partnership with the City of Lexington and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Trust Fund. Media partners include ABC 36-WTVQ and Cumulus Media.
Follow @LexVeteransDay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for information, event updates and day of coverage. Parade participants and attendees are encouraged to share their photos online, tag @LexVeteransDay and use #LexVeteransDay2017.