Guide to Philly's Veterans Day Parade: Road closures, route and festival details

The City of Philadelphia will host the 9th Annual Philadelphia Veterans Parade on Sunday.

Events kick off at noon. But, there will be road closures throughout Center City starting at 6 a.m.

Here's a look at the day's events.

Veterans Day Parade and Festival

The 9th Annual Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade and Festival will be held in Center City on Sunday, and organizers said that the day will "feature more than 100 organizations, over 4,000 participants, and over 50 Veteran Service Organizations."

The parade will begin noon, at the intersection of Juniper and Market streets then it will continue east on Market Street before it ends at 5th and Market streets where the Veterans Festival will take place until 3:30 p.m.

Officials said that the Veterans Festival is a family-friendly event that will feature "food trucks, live music, and resources including job recruitment, healthcare providers, educational opportunities, financial assistance and workshops."

The 2023 Philadelphia Veterans Parade is a rain-or-shine event.

For more information and how to watch the parade, visit phillyveteransparade.org.

Road Closures

The City of Philadelphia announced street closures for Sunday. Starting at 6 a.m., Market Street between 6th Street and 3rd Street would be closed until 5 p.m.

Nearby, officials noted that JFK Blvd. between 20th Street and 15th Street would be closed beginning at 8 a.m. on Sunday for the parade starting area.

Then, beginning at 11:30 a.m., streets along the parade route would be closed for duration of the parade. These streets include:

• 15th Street from JFK Blvd. to S. Penn Square
• S. Penn Square to Market Street
• Market Street from S. Penn Square to 6th Street

Parking Restrictions

The streets closed during the day will be marked as “Temporary No Parking” zones on Sunday, November 5.

City officials said that vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours would be relocated. If a driver believes their car has been relocated, city officials have advised car owners to call the police district of the area where your car was parked for information.

Public Transportation

In order to accommodate the day's events, officials said that SEPTA Bus Routes 2, 4, 7, 16, 17, 23, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 45, 47, 47M, 48, 49, 57, 61, 124, and 125 will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 5 a.m. through approximately 5 p.m.

Detours will be posted, and specific route changes are available on the System Status Page at septa.org.

Public Safety Information

Throughout the event, the City of Philadelphia will provide law-enforcement support, traffic control, and emergency medical services for the event and in the surrounding vicinity.

Officials noted in a statement, that attendees should never leave bags or other items unattended.

In the event of an emergency or to report a suspicious person, activity, or item (backpack, package, container, etc.), notify a police officer immediately or call 9-1-1.

Do not try to open, move, cover or touch a suspicious item.

For more information about the Philadelphia Veterans Parade, visit phillyveteransparade.org.

Event Alerts

For more information or for ongoing event alerts, you can sign up for free text alerts from the City of Philadelphia to get weather, transit, event details, and public safety updates.

To sign up, text ReadyPhila (one word, no space) to 888-777.

Information will also be published on the Office of Emergency Management’s Twitter/X page, @PhilaOEM.