Veterans Day in San Jose 2026: The 108th Parade — Plus Year-Round Help for Veterans

Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at noon — that is when the 108th San Jose Veterans Day Parade steps off in downtown San Jose. San Jose’s parade has run every year since 1918 and honors everyone who served, or is serving now, in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Going to the parade

• When: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 — parade begins at noon
• Where: Downtown San Jose
• Details: The San Jose Public Library’s Veterans Day page links to the official parade site (sjveteransparade.org) for the current schedule, parking information, and the parade route — check it before you go, since street closures change where you can stand and park.
• Tip: Downtown fills up fast on parade morning. Coming by VTA light rail or bus saves the parking hunt, and arriving early gets you a spot along the route.

Veterans Day itself is a day of honor, not only a day off: it began as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I fighting on November 11, 1918, and was renamed in 1954 to honor all American veterans.

The year-round door: Santa Clara County Office of Veterans Services

The parade lasts an afternoon. The County of Santa Clara Office of Veterans Services (VSO) is there the other 364 days — and many veterans never use it, even though its whole job is helping veterans and their families claim the benefits they earned.

County VSO phone: (408) 918-4980

What the VSO does, from the county’s own page:

• Meet with a Veterans Services Representative for help with VA claims and benefits questions. You can schedule an appointment — or drop in every Tuesday, no appointment needed, in person or virtually.
• Request military records — the office explains how to get records from the National Archives or the military departments (you often need these, like a DD214, before anything else can move).
• Mobile Dental — the VSO has partnered to provide free dental screening and care to veterans. Call the office to register.
• Public Defender at the VSO — the County Public Defender’s Office is at the VSO each month on the second Tuesday, during the open office, to assist veterans.

If you have never filed a VA claim, or a claim was denied years ago, a Tuesday drop-in is a low-pressure place to start. Accredited county representatives do this work for free.

More help veterans here can use

Veterans in Santa Clara County can also qualify for the same everyday help this site covers — food, rent, health coverage, and utility discounts — sometimes through veteran-specific doors and sometimes through the regular ones:

• CalFresh food benefits — veterans are also among the groups newly subject to CalFresh work-requirement rules, with exemptions that may apply to you; a benefits check sorts out which.
• Rent and housing help — start with our rent hub; tell intake staff you are a veteran, since some funds are reserved for veterans.
• State and federal doors — the San Jose Public Library’s Veterans Day page lists CalVet and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (va.gov) among its local and national resources.

→ Check what you qualify for — benefits check for veterans and families

See also: Veteran programs in the directory · Rent help in San Jose · Help for seniors at home

Parade details checked October 2026 against the San Jose Public Library and the County of Santa Clara. The 2026 route map and any pre-parade ceremony time are published on the official parade site — confirm there before you go.