Raleigh Veterans Day Parade canceled for 2nd straight year

For the second year in a row, the Veterans Day Parade in Raleigh will not happen.

Last year’s parade was canceled when organizers learned cars and other motorized vehicles wouldn’t be allowed given the tragedy in the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade.

The city rewrote the rules after that for all parades , and organizers said those rules had too many hoops to jump through.

“We’ve always had a parade, we’ve always had a ceremony for veterans,” said Ronnie Johnson, who was at the VFW Post 10225 in Garner on Thursday night. “We’ve got to go on, we just can’t let one thing stop us from doing what we used to do.”

The city said organizers of the parade were included in the process when guidelines were set earlier in the year. It also noted that it had multiple meetings with them in recent months.

“We can’t speak for them as to why they chose not to have a parade, but we can tell you our top priority is and always will be the health, safety and welfare of our community for these events,” a City of Raleigh spokesperson said.

Other veterans at the VFW in Garner said it’s especially important to have a parade here given the close military ties in and around the Triangle.

“There was a vehicle accident that involved a lot of people,” said Matt Cross, an Air Force veteran. “Yes, what happened two years ago is a tragedy, but I don’t think they should cancel everything because of one individual’s actions.”

There will still be a ceremony and 21-gun salute on the north side of the State Capitol grounds. Organizers said they hope 2025 will bring better news.