Austin Veterans Day Parade Sure To Be Glorious Affair

AUSTIN, TX — The city will honor military veterans in grand fashion come Saturday with its annual Veterans Day parade meandering along downtown streets. But for those who don't love a parade (we cannot fathom such a thing), you might want to take note of road closures and spots that are off limits to parking.

As area parade goes, this is the mother of all parades. The procession starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, with a reviewing stand at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel following at 11 a.m. on the south steps of the state Capitol.

Here's a breakdown of exquisite specificity from the Downtown Austin Alliance:

• From 5:30 to noon, the parade route will run along the Congress Avenue Bridge between Riverside Drive and Cesar Chavez Street.
• From 7:30 a.m. to noon, it'll snake along Congress Avenue between Cesar Chavez Street and 11th Street.
• At Colorado Street, the procession will march down between 3rd Street and Cesar Chavez Street from 8 am. to noon.
• The parade can be enjoyed along 11th Street between Lavaca Street and San Jacinto Boulevard through its run.
• Intermittently as the procession advances in all its patriotic glory, it'll meander through 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th streets between Colorado and Brazos streets, through 5th and 6th streets between Colorado and Brazos streets and Cesar Chavez Street between Lavaca and Brazos streets.

For more information, visit the official Veterans Day Parade website by clicking here.

That website has some Veterans Day fun facts for those who like such tidbits (text below taken verbatim from said website):

• The Austin Veterans Day Parade Committee welcomes you to this year's page. This is an all-volunteer event operating for over 15 years and designated as an official regional site by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Veterans' Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans'. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated.
• It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

Below is a parade route map detail. Click here for the full map.

Now that we've heightened your excitement over the imminent parade, a word or two on road closures. And an additional word about alternative routes for traffic. City of Austin officials list alternate routes for traffic:

• North/South: Lamar Boulevard, S. 1st Street, Brazos Street to Red River Street.
• East/West: MLK Jr. Boulevard, 15th Street, Riverside Drive.

Given the traffic headaches, you might want to take public transportation to get to the parade. It's a cheap and effective way of getting to and from while you leave the driving to someone else. For bus routes and schedules visit: www.capmetro.org. If you do decide to brave the congestion, here's a link for more parking information: http://austintexas.gov/page/parking-spots-downtown. Take a gander at the official Street Closure Document for further details.

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