Veterans Day parades, celebrations planned
Veteran’s Day, a national holiday, will take place on Saturday, November 11, and, this year, both Long Beach and Pass Christian will be hosting parades and celebrations to honor and celebrate military veterans.
The Long Beach Community Development Association and Coast Cares Foundation are hosting a Veterans Day Celebration and Parade from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on November 11 in Long Beach.
The Veterans Parade will roll out at 11 a.m. in downtown Long Beach and will end at the Harper McCaughan Town Green on Jeff Davis Avenue, where crowds can enjoy live performances and the Veterans will be treated to lunch. Money raised will be donated to local military groups.
The parade will begin at First United Methodist Church of Long Beach on Pine Street, turn onto Fifth Street and will end at the Harper McCaughan Town Green on Jeff Davis Avenue.
Marching bands, choirs and singers will provide live performances as they march down the parade route, along with veterans and civic groups and other parade floats packed with people honoring local veterans.
This is the eighth year the Veterans Day Celebration and Parade has taken place in Long Beach. For more information or to volunteer, contact Ward 3 Alderwoman Angie Johnson at 228-297-9298.
Also on Saturday, November 11, the Gulf Coast Veterans Association will roll out its inaugural Veterans Day Parade at 11 a.m. in downtown Pass Christian. This first-ever parade is being held to honor all who have served in the military.
The parade route begins south of the railroad tracks at Davis Avenue and will wind south towards Scenic Drive, then will head east on Scenic Drive and will wrap up on the eastern side of War Memorial Park, where there will be a gathering and celebration, including music, food trucks and veteran-owned business vendors on site.
Everyone is invited to line the parade route to honor local veterans from multiple generations and active-duty service members serving along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“We think it’s incredibly important, especially around these times, to remember why we have the freedoms that we have,” says Moises Espinal, president and founder of the Gulf Coast Veterans Association, the organization putting on the parade. “We formed this organization to make sure that veterans, active service members and their families are recognized for their contributions to our freedoms.”
There will be various units, including soldiers from the 169th Engineer Battalion and Seabees, participating in the November 11 parade, as well as parade floats, veterans and service members riding in golf carts and the Pass Christian High School Band.
Espinal says that individuals and organizations who would like to participate in the parade or vendor fair are still welcome to sign up. An affiliation with the military is not required in order to join in the parade procession, but floats must have displays that are veteran- and military-friendly. Those interested can contact Espinal at 228-256-2685 or visit the GCVA.ms Facebook page.
Espinal encourages everyone to take part in this inaugural event, whether it’s by joining the parade procession or cheering along the parade route.
“All are invited to join,” Espinal says. “The more, the better!”
For more information about the Pass Christian parade, visit the Gulf Coast Veterans Association on Facebook, or call 228-256-2685. 
