Organizers of Veterans Day events scheduled in North Texas have made changes this year due to the pandemic and road construction. In Fort Worth, thousands of people normally line streets downtown for the Veterans Day parade there.
This year, due to construction on Main and Houston Streets, the parade will leave from Panther Island Pavilion and will only include wheeled units moving down Forest Park Boulevard to Rotary Plaza, near Lancaster Avenue.
The Tarrant County Veterans Council describes this year's parade as a "memorial motorcade." No marching bands or junior ROTC units will participate this year. The grand marshal is a past national commander of Disabled American Veterans, which is marking its centennial.
People are encouraged to watch from parks along Clear Fork. A Marine Corps flyover is scheduled at the beginning of the parade at 11 a.m.
In Carrollton, the city is hosting a virtual concert at noon, which can be viewed at facebook.com/CarrolltonParks/. The city has also planned a drive-thru luncheon, but registration for that has ended.
Wednesday night, Carrollton will hold a fireworks show at 7 p.m., which was rescheduled from the Fourth of July due to the pandemic. The display will be held over Josey Ranch, but there will be no events scheduled or people allowed to watch on-site. The city urges people to watch from their cars or homes without gathering in large groups.
The city has posted areas where people can watch from their cars at www.cityofcarrollton.com/about-us/calendar/special-events/community-fireworks, and the fireworks show will be streamed on the City of Carrollton's Facebook page: facebook.com/carrolltontexas/.
DFW National Cemetery is not holding a Veterans Day event this year.
The city of Dallas canceled its parade and moved to a virtual event this year.
"It's an unusual year. We usually have flags draped everywhere in this plaza," Tracy Fisher, the chair of the Dallas Veterans Day Parade Committee, said on the City Hall Plaza Wednesday morning.
This year's theme marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. A video marking the anniversary is available at greaterdallasveteransfoundation.org/veterans-day-2020.
