How To Honor Military Personnel, What’s Open, Closed: Veterans Day In Miami-Dade County

MIAMI, FL — The post office and most banks will be closed in the Miami area on Thursday in observance of Veterans Day, a federal holiday that honors veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

The following will be closed in observance of the holiday:

• Miami-Dade County offices
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• Miami-Dade Public Libraries
• Local courts
• City of Miami offices

The following services and facilities are unaffected by the holiday:

• Miami-Dade County’s Solid Waste Management department’s trash pickup services
• Miami-Dade Transportation and Public Works
• City of Miami Department of Solid Waste trash pickup services
• Miami Department of Solid Waste mini dump facility, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Veterans Day, commemorated annually on Nov. 11, was first celebrated in 1919 to honor those who fought in World War I. It was initially called Armistice Day and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

The holiday’s origin is tied to the armistice, a temporary end of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany signed in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

It became Veterans Day in 1954, shortly following the end of the Korean War and less than a decade after World War II, after various veterans service organizations urged Congress to encompass veterans of all wars in their honor.

While some ceremonies, parades and services may be canceled or altered as the coronavirus pandemic continues, here are some Veterans Day events planned in the Miami area:

• Doral Veterans Day Ceremony: Thursday, 9 a.m., at Veterans Park, 10190 NW 33rd Street in Doral.
• Miami Lakes Veterans Day Parade: Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon. The parade can be viewed from multiple locations along Ludlam Road from Bull Run Road to Eagles Nest.
• Veterans Day Picnic: Thursday, 11 a.m., at Veterans Wayside Park, 11111 Pinecrest Pkwy. in Pinecrest. This free event will feature an honor guard presentation, a pinning ceremony, a wreath ceremony, music and a complimentary picnic.
• Miami Beach Veterans Day Parade: Thursday, 11:11 a.m. This annual parade features veteran and military groups, marching bands, and community organizations along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, starting at Fifth Street.

Restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active-military members.

Applebee’s, Bob Evans and Chili’s Grill and Bar are among the national restaurant chains offering free or discounted meals for veterans on Nov. 11, and 7-Eleven is offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp.

Other places, such as Golden Corral and Eat'n Park, have offers extended throughout November.

Veterans Day is somewhat related to, and sometimes mistaken for, Memorial Day, the federal holiday on the final Monday of May that is dedicated to those who have died while serving the United States.