Where to celebrate Veterans Day in the Sacramento region on Tuesday

Veterans Day will be observed Tuesday honoring more than 19 million Americans who have served in the U.S. military.

The federal holiday traces its origins to the end of World War I. It was first observed in 1919 as Armistice Day, marking the anniversary of the ceasefire that ended the war on the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” Congress later made it a federal holiday in 1938, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed it Veterans Day in 1954 to recognize veterans of all wars.

Unlike Memorial Day, which commemorates service members who died while serving, Veterans Day honors all who served in the military, regardless of whether they saw combat or survived their service.

In California, public schools and government offices — including the Department of Motor Vehicles and U.S. Postal Service — will be closed. Most banks will also shut down. However, private businesses are not required to close or provide paid time off. Whether private-sector employees receive the day off depends on company policies, union agreements or individual contracts.

Veterans Day events in the capital region

Across Northern California, communities will host parades, ceremonies and public gatherings to mark Veterans Day. Among them:

In Auburn, the Veterans Day parade begins at 10:50 a.m. at the corner of Lincoln Way and Cleveland Avenue. More info at auburnveteransparade.org.

In Davis, a ceremony will be held at the Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum 820 Pole Line Road, starting at 10:30 a.m. The program featuring music will have a keynote speech by Michelle Bailey, owner of Little Reata Stables. More info at daviscemetery.org/veterans-day-ceremony.

In Elk Grove, a ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at 8820 Elk Grove Blvd. with a name reading and salture to the national anthem and honor guard. The parade starts at 11:11 a.m. at the Cosumnes Community Services District Administration Building and ends at the Elk Grove Regional Park memorial. More info: elkgrove.gov/event/veterans-day-parade.

In Folsom, the 25th annual Wayne Spence Veterans Day Parade begins at 9 a.m., starting at East Bidwell Street and Montrose Drive and ending at City Lions Park. More info: sacramento365.com/event/wayne-spence-veterans-day-parade.

In Marysville, the Yuba-Sutter Veterans Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Seventh and D streets in downtown. This year marks the event’s 23rd anniversary. More info: facebook.com/yubasutterveteransdayparade.

West Sacramento will host its annual parade at 11 a.m. on Clarendon Street, followed by a free Heroes Luncheon from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. More info: westsacvfw.com/veterans-day-parade.

This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM.