Parades, memorials, festivals and even a Veterans Day air show are returning to Charlotte this week to honor the nation's past and present service members. Many of the events are returning after taking a year off for the pandemic.
The Veterans Day holiday is held every year on Nov. 11 to mark the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. This year, the federal holiday falls on a Thursday.
Some organizers say they're seeing heightened interest and are expecting full crowds at this year's events. That includes in Huntersville, where Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Tracy Houk said the town's Veterans Day parade on Saturday was shaping up to be its biggest yet.
"We have 40 groups registered for our parade, and that's the most that we've had in the past six years that we've held this event," she said. "I think everyone's super excited."
Some of this year's Veterans Day events already took place over the Nov. 6 - 7 weekend, including Charlotte's annual Salute To Veterans Paradeand the Warbirds Over Monroe Air Show.
Other events are planned elsewhere in the region this Thursday through Saturday, including several parades and ceremonies. Here are some:
CHARLOTTE
The Carolinas Veterans Day Festival will get underway at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte on Thursday, Nov. 11. The event is free and open to the public.
It will include a workout, military pageantry, a veterans business expo and a free fall parachute jump. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the ballpark gates opening at 8:30 a.m.
WAXHAW
The annual Waxhaw Veterans Day Ceremony will place take at the Waxhaw Military Wall of Honor at 100 E. North Main Street on Nov. 11, at 11 a.m.
CORNELIUS
A Veterans Day Celebration will be held in Cornelius on Thursday, Nov. 11, at the town's Veterans Monument at Rotary Plaza at 20017 NC-115 in Cornelius, behind the Cornelius Town Hall.
The event will begin at 11 a.m., and will feature a 21-gun salute, a wreath of remembrance, and remarks and musical performances from local veterans.
INDIAN TRAIL
The town of Indian Trail will host a Veterans Day Observance Ceremony at the town's Veterans Memorial Garden at 315 Matthews-Indian Trail Road on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.
HUNTERSVILLE
The town of Huntersville will hold its 6th annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 13. The events will be held in-person this year after going virtual last year.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. and travel southbound on Highway 115 to Greenway Street, then back up Maxwell Street and end at Veterans Park. Following the parade, a Veterans Day ceremony will be held at Veterans Park at 11 a.m.
MOORESVILLE
Mooresville's annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony will be held on Thursday, Nov. 11. The event will begin with a ceremony at Glenwood Park at 11 a.m. followed by a Veterans Day parade through downtown Mooresville at 1 p.m.
MINT HILL
The town of Mint Hill will host a drive-thru Veterans Appreciation Event on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., according to The Mint Hill Times.
Veterans can drive through Mint Hill's Veterans Memorial Park where local boy scouts, JROTC members and town staff will thank them for their service. A bagpiper will also perform, and veterans will receive a gift bag and breakfast from Chick-fil-A.
After, a ceremony will be held at the park at 9:30 a.m., where the local Quilts of Valor will present quilts to nine to 12 local veterans, according to the Times.
