What To Know For 2021 NYC Veterans' Day Parade

MANHATTAN, NY — The NYC Veterans Day Parade, which is the largest Veterans Day event in the nation, returns in-person this year along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The annual parade is organized by the United War Veterans Council, which is headquartered in Hudson Square. Last year, the parade was not held in-person because of COVID-19.

The 2021 parade begins at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The route goes north up Fifth Avenue, with the end point to be determined based on participation and COVID-19 health regulations. The parade will go to at least 40th Street, the official parade website says.

Assembly begins at 8 a.m. and the parade steps off between noon and 12:30 p.m. There will be approximately 25,000 people marching in the parade, 30 floats, and more than 150 vehicles, according to the parade site.

The traditional opening ceremony has been reduced, according to the official parade website. Parade and community representatives "will participate in a wreath procession to the Eternal Light Memorial."

The parade will be aired live on WABC and streamed online. Spectators may view the parade along Fifth Avenue, beginning at 27th Street.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the start of the global war on terror, and also marks the 30th anniversary of Operation: Desert Storm.

This year, the Grand Marshal is U.S. Air Force veteran Kevin Carrick, who served with the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton for more than two decades. Carrick is a retired Senior Master Sergeant who "served on numerous overseas combat deployments helping rescue downed airmen and other wounded U.S. military personnel," according to the parade's official website.

Carrick also responded to Ground Zero on 9/11 to help with initial search and rescue efforts.

Sponsors of the event include the Wounded Warrior Project, JPMorgan Chase, T-Mobile, Cushman & Wakefield, and Verizon.