Porterville's 94th annual Veterans Day Parade is Monday

Sunny skies and cool winds are expected to grace this year’s Veterans Day Parade in downtown Porterville Monday morning.  

The 94th annual parade, with a theme of “Remembering the Past and Imagining the Future” will step off at 10 a.m. with the U.S. Army Color Guard marching south on Main Street.

U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Jaime Garcia — a 20-year Vietnam veteran — will serve as the event’s grand marshal and Brigadier General Keith Jones, a Lindsay native who serves as the Commander, 40th Infantry Division in the California Army National Guard, will be the event’s honorary grand marshal.   

Ed Flory, who has served as the parade chairman for 37 years and has helped organize the function for the past 50 years, said he’s real happy to have a ranking officer join in the festivities this year.

Among the 153 parade entries, 13 local high school, middle school and elementary school marching bands will participate in this year’s fanfare. The procession will also include the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion Post 20, numerous decorated floats, antique vehicles and classic cars and the presence of several local dignitaries.   

The parade route will begin at the corner of Morton Avenue and Main Street and will conclude at Main Street and Walnut Avenue, with a moment of silence observed at 11 a.m.

“The Porterville Police Department will stop the parade and we hope all the bands turn and face east and we would hope those people standing on the east side of Main Street would also face east for the minute of silence,” Flory said.  

The Old Timers’ Tea, also known as the Veterans Day Tea, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Women’s Clubhouse, 265 N. E St.

The day’s activities will begin as early as 6 a.m. with pre-registration for the Veterans Day Run, a 10k run, 5k run, and 5k walk.

Awards will be given to the three top runners in each age division and for overall male and female. All participants of the 10k and 5k runs, or the 5k walk, will receive an official race-day T-shirt.

The cost of registration is $15 for runners who pre-register, and $20 for those who register the day of, $10 for walkers who pre-register and $15 for those who register that day.

Registration the day of the event will begin at 6 a.m. at City Hall, 291 N. Main St.

Motorists should avoid street closures, which will begin at 4:30 a.m. and will remain closed until the parade is over at about noon.

Main Street will be blocked off beginning at the Ford dealership, near West Danner Avenue, to Orange Street. Hockett Street and Second Street will also be closed, but will remain open for street traffic and vendors.

See Monday’s edition of The Recorder for a complete parade lineup.

Contact Denise Madrid at 784-5000, Ext. 1047. Follow her on Twitter @DeniseMadrid_.