SouthCoast Communities Honoring Veterans Day With These Celebrations

Veterans Day is coming up this weekend, and it is time to pay tribute to those that protect our freedom.

On Saturday, November 11, the annual holiday will be observed with parades and other memorial celebrations in New Bedford, Fall River and across the SouthCoast.

To honor this day, we have compiled a list of local parades and ceremonies for you to attend this weekend.

New Bedford Veterans Day Parade

The parade will form at Rockdale Avenue and Union Street in Buttonwood Park intersection, beginning at 10 a.m. and stepping off at 11 a.m. The address for the parade's end is 613 Pleasant Street in downtown New Bedford.

The parade will march east on Union Street to County Street, then turn left and head north on County Street to William Street, then turn right onto William Street and head east to City Hall, and end at the reviewing stand in front of the New Bedford Main Library, at the intersection of Pleasant Street and William Street.

A service will be held at the reviewing stand following the parade's conclusion, and all are invited to attend. Seating will be reserved near the reviewing stand for elderly veterans and veterans with disabilities.

Dartmouth Veterans Day Ceremony

The Veterans Office will honor Dartmouth veterans with a dignified ceremony at the Dartmouth Veterans Memorial Grove at the Dartmouth Council on Aging, 628 Dartmouth Street. The service will be held on Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m.
Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

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Fairhaven Veterans Day Parade

The parade will start at 10 a.m. at Main Street from Benoit Square South, and end at Fairhaven High School. All veterans and other marching groups can meet at Benoit Square at 9:30 a.m. The annual parade to honor all veterans is followed by a brief ceremony, including raising the "Big Flag" in front of Fairhaven High School.

Fall River Veterans Day Parade

The Fall River Veterans Day celebration will include a "rolling parade" from Veterans Memorial Bicentennial Park to B.M.C. Durfee High School on Saturday, November 11.
Kickoff will be at 2 p.m, and the procession will head east up President Avenue to North Park, where the Bay State Band will perform patriotic songs. It will then proceed up the hill to Highland Park, at the corner of President Avenue and Robeson Street, to enjoy a performance from Swansea's Case High Marching Band.

A Veterans Day ceremony will begin at Durfee High School at 3:30 p.m. in the atrium at the school's north entrance.

Westport Rucking for Veterans and Ceremony

The Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery will hold a rucking celebration honoring veterans. It will begin at 7 a.m. at 417 Hixbridge Road in Westport. Rucking for Veterans is a group of veterans and civilians whose purpose is to bring awareness to and advocate for the prevention of Veteran Suicide. They ruck 22 miles in honor and memory of our fallen service members while carrying the names of fallen comrades on yellow remembrance ribbons. For more event details and to register or donate to this event, go to http://www.ruckingforveterans.com/events.

Westport's Veterans Day ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at 974 Main Road, Westport. The ceremony will occur at the Veterans Monument in the veterans section of Beech Grove Cemetery.

Acushnet Veterans Day Ceremony

The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the Acushnet Veterans Memorial Park at 256 Main Street. Acushnet will celebrate its annual flag-raising ceremony with a wreath laying, a Ford Middle School vocal group, a bagpiper ensemble, and a USCG flyover. Coffee and doughnuts will be available.

Marion Veterans Day Ceremony

The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. at Old Landing Veterans Park on Front Street. The Sippican School Band, led by Hannah Moore, will perform patriotic music selections.

Rochester Veterans Day Parade

The parade will kick off at 10:30 am in the area of South Goodman Street and Highland Avenue. The parade route will go from South Goodman and Highland before heading up Highland Avenue towards the Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Gary Beikirch Park. Before the parade starts, there will be free coffee and a "morning family stretch." Food will also be served at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Wareham Veterans Day Parade

Before the parade, there will be free face painting and balloons at Pezzoli Square starting at 9 a.m.

At 10 am, the parade begins at Besse Park. There will be a ceremony at Centre Park following the parade. A free luncheon for veterans at the Congregational Church Hall will follow the ceremony. There will also be free parking at Town Hall with shuttle service to and from Main Street.

Lakeville Veterans Day Parade

The public is invited to attend the Lakeville Historical Commission's annual Veterans Day Observance on Saturday at 10:30 am. It will begin at the Hitchcock Memorial at the Assawompset School, proceed to the Historic Town House to the flagpole and Honor Roll, and then across the street to the WWI Memorial in Dickran Diran Square. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Historic Town House.

Taunton Veterans Day Ceremony

The Taunton Area Vietnam Veterans Association will host a Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday at noon on Church Green. The ceremony will honor all veterans and replace the 13 flags for the service members from Taunton who were killed in action.

Somerset Veterans Day Breakfast and Ceremony

Breakfast will be from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Congregational Christian Church, 1411 County Street, Somerset. Volunteers will cook pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon for Somerset's military veterans. No registration is needed. After breakfast, a Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the World War II monument in front of the Somerset Public Library at 1464 County Street.

Swansea Veterans Day Ceremony

The ceremony will start 10 a.m. at Swansea Veterans Memorial Green, 101 Gardners Neck Road. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post 303 on Ocean Grove Avenue. A traditional wreath placing and Color Guard will be followed by presentations and the winning essay from "What Veterans Day Means to Me" done at Case Junior High School.

Rehoboth Veterans Day Parade

A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the Rehoboth Veterans Cenotaph on the corner of Route 44 and Danforth, followed by the placing of a wreath at the Rehoboth Veterans Memorial gazebo on the Redway Plain.

A free luncheon will be held in the afternoon at the American Legion Post 302 for local veterans