March 27, 2024

Town Readies for Veterans Day Parade

Veterans Day

Salute America’s veterans at the 2021 Veterans Day Parade in Leonardtown on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at 9:45 am.

The parade begins at St. Mary’s Ryken High School and will proceed along Fenwick Street.

Immediately following the parade, citizens are invited to town square for a memorial ceremony. This year’s ceremony will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor with remarks from veterans and dignitaries and conclude with laying the wreaths on the memorials. Veterans and family members of those who served during World War II are encouraged to contact Brandy Blackstone at [email protected] to be recognized during the ceremony.

In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled, and the ceremony will take place inside the Leonardtown Town Hall at 22670 Washington St. in Leonardtown. The cancellation decision will be made by 8 am November 11, and a cancellation notice will be posted on the Town of Leonardtown website and Facebook pages as well as on the St. Mary’s County government website.

Parking and Shuttle Information

Parade participants are requested to be in place at the staging area at St. Mary’s Ryken High School no later than 9:15 am and be aware of the following:

Parade vehicles, including buses, floats, cars, trucks, and motorcycles, should report directly to the staging area at the school between 7 and 8 am. All parade vehicles – except emergency vehicles – should be parked by 8 am.

Marching groups and other parade participants should park at Leonardtown Middle School and take the shuttle to St. Mary’s Ryken High School between 7:45 and 9 am.

Parents are asked to refrain from dropping their children off at St. Mary’s Ryken, along the roadside or at the intersection for safety reasons.

Parking for Spectators

The parking lot adjacent to the Courthouse on Courthouse Drive is reserved for school buses and shuttles only. Parking for spectators and parade participants will not be available at the courthouse. Spectators are asked to park at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds, the St. Mary’s County Governmental Center or the College of Southern Maryland and ride one of the complimentary, round-trip shuttles into town.

Free parking and shuttles will also be available at all three of these locations. At the governmental center, spectators are asked to park in the lots adjacent to the Carter State Office Building at 23115 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. Wheelchair-accessible shuttles will be available at both locations. The return-shuttle stop for both sites is located across from Olde Town Pub on the corner of Washington and Shadrick streets.

Spectators and participants using the shuttles may encounter delays due to crowding. Patience and understanding will be appreciated.

Handicapped Parking

Spectators requiring handicapped parking may take Washington Street and (upon showing proof of a handicapped sticker or need) will be allowed to park in the public lot beside the Hair Company.

For a map of available parking areas, go to VisitLeonardtownMD.com/VeteransDay.

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