Charleston's Veterans Day Parade is Sunday, Nov. 8, from Market Street to Colonial Lake. City offices close Wednesday, Nov. 11; schools stay open.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Charleston’s Veterans Day Parade is three days earlier, on Sunday, Nov. 8, from Market Street to Colonial Lake, and the Charleston Symphony plays a free concert on the USS Yorktown on the day itself.
Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the City of Charleston, the Charleston County School District and each organizer’s page, linked below. Final parade times and road closures are expected from the city in late October or early November.
Who to call
- City Citizen Services Desk: 843-724-7311
- Police non-emergency (parade traffic): 843-743-7200
- Patriots Point: see patriotspoint.org
The Veterans Day Parade, Sunday, Nov. 8
The 2026 VA Veterans Day Parade is on the city’s books for Sunday, Nov. 8, according to the Special Events Committee agenda of June 10, which lists it as city sponsored, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for about 1,400 people.
- Staging: Concord Street.
- Route: the parade starts at Market Street, turns left onto East Bay Street, then right onto Broad Street, and ends at Colonial Lake.
- Who runs it: the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System with the city.
What the 2025 parade looked like. The Charleston Police Department’s 2025 notice set this timetable, and the 2026 times are expected to be similar once confirmed:
| Time (2025) | What happened |
|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | Staging began on Concord and Pritchard streets |
| 12:50 p.m. | Full route closed to traffic |
| 1 p.m. | Parade began, with a flyover |
| 2:30 p.m. | Parade ended |
| 3 p.m. | Route reopened |
In 2025 police said access to the South of Broad neighborhood was limited during the parade and officers were posted along the route to help drivers and residents. Parking garages and rates are on the city’s parking page; see our getting around guide and road closures page.
Symphony of Service on the USS Yorktown, Wednesday, Nov. 11
The Charleston Symphony’s Symphony of Service Veterans Day concert is from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, about 6 miles east.
- The concert is free with general admission to the museum, and veterans get in free on Veterans Day, according to Friends of Fisher House Charleston, which organizes it with the symphony.
- General admission covers the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Laffey, the aircraft, the Vietnam Experience and the Medal of Honor Museum, the organizer says.
- A sponsor reception follows from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., by invitation. Sponsorships benefit families staying at the Charleston Fisher House.
What is open and closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11
| Service | Veterans Day 2026 |
|---|---|
| City offices | Closed (city-observed holiday) |
| City recreation centers and programs | Closed, per the Fall 2026 Recreation Guide; classes that day may not meet |
| Charleston County School District | Open; Nov. 11 is not a day off on the 2026-27 calendar |
| Post offices | Closed, as on every federal holiday |
| County recycling | Normal schedule; the county lists only Thanksgiving and Christmas as delay days this fall |
| City garbage and trash | 2026 schedule not posted yet; see below |
Trash pickup. In 2025, the city’s Veterans Day notice said:
- City crews (peninsula, inner West Ashley, James Island) skipped the holiday, and every route for the rest of the week ran one day late.
- Trident Waste on Johns Island and in outer West Ashley kept a normal schedule.
- Trident Waste on Daniel Island and in Cainhoy kept a normal schedule.
That was 2025, when the holiday fell on a Tuesday. We will add the 2026 notice when the city posts it. Pickup days are on our trash and recycling page.
What this means for you
- Plan for downtown closures on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 8, along Market, East Bay and Broad streets.
- City offices are closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, but children have school.
- Veterans can visit Patriots Point free on Nov. 11 and hear the symphony on the Yorktown.
Send us your Veterans Day ceremony: email hello@charlestonnewstoday.com with the date, time and place. Related: things to do this month, Thanksgiving in Charleston.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Charleston Veterans Day Parade in 2026?
Sunday, Nov. 8. The city’s Special Events Committee lists the VA Veterans Day Parade from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., staging on Concord Street and marching from Market Street along East Bay Street and Broad Street to Colonial Lake. The final schedule and road closures usually come about a week ahead.
Is City Hall open on Veterans Day 2026?
No. Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, is a city-observed holiday; city offices and recreation facilities close, the city’s Fall 2026 Recreation Guide says.
Do Charleston County schools have Veterans Day off?
No. The Charleston County School District’s 2026-27 calendar does not list Nov. 11 as a day off. Schools close Tuesday, Nov. 3, for Election Day and Nov. 23-27 for fall break.
Is trash picked up on Veterans Day in Charleston?
The city has not posted its 2026 schedule yet. In 2025, city crews skipped the holiday and ran one day late for the rest of the week, while Trident Waste areas kept a normal schedule.
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