Thousands of people gathered in downtown Reno Monday for the City of Reno’s annual Veterans Day Parade. The parade began at 11:11 a.m. at Liberty Street and ended at Fifth Street near the Circus Circus casino. The theme for Veterans Day 2024 was “A Legacy of Loyalty and Service” and set the tone for the parade.
Spectators were cheering amongst a sea of red, white and blue, with flags waving and banners proudly displayed as the parade made its way down Virginia Street. Veterans, active-duty service members, and supporters all joined to celebrate and recognize the sacrifices made by those who served.
Kicking off the celebration was local emcee Chris Payne, who told This Is Reno that it was important to him to show his respect to the people who served our country, even if you don’t know them personally. “It’s a big deal for the community” Payne said, adding that he was honored to be emceeing the event.
This year’s parade featured dozens of groups, including military units, JROTC cadets, local school bands and several veterans’ organizations. Scoutmaster Hillary Velazquez of Troop 55, whose council is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nevada Area Council, was out supporting the veterans, saying, “There’s probably at least 100 scouts” on hand to participate in and support the parade.
Among the veterans in attendance was Navy veteran Ron Stevens, who said he “was with a lot of things” but retired from the military as a captain out of the Pentagon. Stevens said he was there to “celebrate all the lives of the veterans that have served.”
Mayor Hillary Schieve, who walked alongside a group of local veterans and handed out candy to spectators, gave a short speech before the parade kicked off. As the parade continued, volunteers passed out flags to children and sounds of patriotic songs, sirens and cheers filled the air.
The parade wrapped up about 12:30 p.m.
