Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11: no school in St. Johns County, county offices closed, and Jacksonville's parade at 11:01 a.m. with its route and closures.

Last checked Nov. 7, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: St. Johns County’s holiday schedule and garbage collection page, the St. Johns County School District’s 2026-27 master calendar, the library calendar, Visit St. Augustine, the county’s tourism office, and the City of Jacksonville’s parade page.

Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. St. Johns County schools are closed and county offices are closed. No Veterans Day ceremony in Ponte Vedra Beach itself has been announced for 2026. Jacksonville’s parade steps off downtown at 11:01 a.m., and the county’s main celebration is at Anastasia Church in St. Augustine, with the ceremony at 11 a.m.

Updated Nov. 7: the 2026 county program is now listed: speakers who served from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the St. Johns County Chamber Singers. The Nov. 6 library talk has passed.

Updated Nov. 5: St. Johns County confirmed its Veterans Day hours. County offices, libraries, bookmobiles and constitutional offices close Wednesday, Nov. 11, and reopen Thursday, Nov. 12. Trash, recycling and yard waste pickup is not delayed, and the Tillman Ridge and Stratton Road transfer stations stay open.

Updated Oct. 31: the county celebration’s 2026 times are now listed: doors 9 a.m., ceremony 11 a.m.

Veterans Day at a glance

  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: no school; St. Johns County offices closed
  • County ceremony: Anastasia Church, St. Augustine; doors 9 a.m., ceremony 11 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade, downtown, 11:01 a.m.
  • Trash: picked up as normal; transfer stations open

In Ponte Vedra Beach

The Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., hosted Guest Speaker: Veterans Museum from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 (this event has passed), in the Friends of the Library Community Room. Scott Mythen, who retired from the Navy in 2024 after 27 years as a musician, band director and staff officer, spoke about a museum that collects and preserves veterans’ stories; the library’s event listing has the details.

Churches, posts and homeowners associations that hold a Veterans Day event can send the date, time and place through our contact page, and we will add it here.

St. Johns County’s Veterans Day celebration

The Veterans Council of St. Johns County and the Ancient City Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America hold the county’s Veterans Day celebration at Anastasia Church, 1650 A1A South, St. Augustine, about 25 miles south of Ponte Vedra Beach. For Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, Visit St. Augustine lists:

  • Doors open at 9 a.m. and the ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
  • Parking is free on site.

The 2026 program has local veteran speakers who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and in Iraq and Afghanistan operations, and a performance by the St. Johns County Chamber Singers, the listing says.

Questions go to 904-829-0381, the number on the Visit St. Augustine listing.

Jacksonville’s Veterans Day Parade

The City of Jacksonville’s Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in downtown Jacksonville, about 17 miles northwest of Ponte Vedra Beach. It is free, draws more than 2,500 participants each year and is the largest Veterans Day observance in Florida, the city’s parade page says.

  • Route: 1.32 miles. It starts on Water Street in front of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, turns left onto Hogan Street, right onto Bay Street and runs east, then turns onto A. Philip Randolph Boulevard and ends at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
  • Where to watch: anywhere along Bay Street between Hogan Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, first come, first served. The city names Ford on Bay, near South Liberty Street and East Bay Street, as a popular central spot.
  • Road closures: full closures on Park, Lee and Water streets from 7 a.m.; more full closures, including Main Street to the Main Street Bridge and the Acosta Bridge off-ramp to Water Street, from 10 a.m.; rolling closures along the route from 10 a.m. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office runs traffic control. The city says to allow extra time and use other routes.
  • Street parking: spaces and meters on Water, Hogan and Bay streets and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard along the route are bagged from Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Free admission and discounts in St. Augustine

Visit St. Augustine’s 2026 Veterans Day listing says, for Wednesday, Nov. 11:

  • Castillo de San Marcos is free for veterans, active-duty, retired and honorably discharged military, with ID.
  • Old Town Trolley Tours, the Old Jail, the Oldest Store Museum and Potter’s Wax Museum are free for military and first responders.
  • The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum gives veterans 10% off.
  • Red Boat Tours gives veterans a free ride on its noon tours and its 6 p.m. sunset cruise; book at 904-436-3566. Veterans also get 15% off its tours through November.

Check with each attraction before you go; the listing has the details.

What is open and closed

  • Schools: St. Johns County School District students and teachers are off Wednesday, Nov. 11, the district’s 2026-27 master calendar says. See our schools guide.
  • County offices and libraries: closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, and open again Thursday, Nov. 12, the county said in its holiday notice. That covers county departments, libraries and bookmobiles, the Supervisor of Elections, the Property Appraiser, the Tax Collector and the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
  • Trash and recycling: garbage, recycling and yard waste pickup is not delayed, the county said. The Tillman Ridge and Stratton Road transfer stations keep regular hours Nov. 11. See our trash and recycling guide.
  • Getting around: for road work on A1A and County Road 210, see road construction and closures; for parking and beach access, see getting around.

What this means for you

  • Plan for children at home on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
  • For the parade, get downtown early: closures start at 7 a.m. and viewing is first come, first served.
  • For the county ceremony, doors open at 9 a.m. and parking is free.

Frequently asked questions

Is there school on Veterans Day 2026 in St. Johns County?

No. The St. Johns County School District’s 2026-27 calendar lists Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, as Veterans Day, a student and teacher holiday.

Are St. Johns County offices open on Veterans Day?

No. The county says its offices, libraries, bookmobiles and constitutional offices, including the tax collector, property appraiser, clerk and Supervisor of Elections, close Wednesday, Nov. 11, and reopen Thursday, Nov. 12.

Is trash picked up on Veterans Day in St. Johns County?

Yes. St. Johns County says garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will not be delayed on Veterans Day, and the Tillman Ridge and Stratton Road transfer stations stay open during regular hours Nov. 11.

What time is the Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade in 2026?

11:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, downtown. The 1.32-mile route runs from Water Street in front of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts along Hogan and Bay streets to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, the City of Jacksonville says.

Is there a Veterans Day ceremony near Ponte Vedra Beach?

The Veterans Council of St. Johns County holds the county’s Veterans Day celebration at Anastasia Church, 1650 A1A South, St. Augustine. For Nov. 11, 2026, doors open at 9 a.m. and the ceremony begins at 11 a.m., with free parking, Visit St. Augustine lists.