The 9th annual Veterans Day Parade will once again be part of
the festivities in Hollister on Thursday in celebration of Veterans
Day.
The 9th annual Veterans Day Parade will once again be part of the festivities in Hollister on Thursday in celebration of Veterans Day.
The all-day festivities will kick off at 7 a.m. in the San Benito High School cafeteria, where the League of United Latin American Citizens will host a breakfast fundraiser for the local veterans.
Starting at 10 a.m. and running to 1 p.m., festivities at the Veterans Memorial Building will be open to the public, said Frankie Arballo, who is organizing the events. The Gilroy branch of the United States Army Career Center is bringing a rock-climbing wall and a dog-tag machine for kids.
Also, a mobile van from Santa Cruz County will be present to talk with veterans about services that are available to them, such as mental health services, Arballo said.
The ceremonies will take place at 11:11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building. The ceremony will include multiple speeches from local politicians and veterans.
At noon, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9242 will have a barbeque at the Veterans Memorial Building.
The day will culminate in the 9th annual parade that will stroll through downtown starting at 1:30 p.m., Arballo said. Currently, the parade has 23 participants, including bands from Hollister High School and Rancho-Maze. The parade will also highlight many local businesses throughout the county.
It will mimic Veterans Day festivities in the past, Arballo said.
“It’s what we’ve doing in pervious years,” Arballo said. “It’s a great day. It’s really important that we remember to honor our veterans.”
The festivities are being put together by a group of 16 volunteers and local veterans, Arballo said.
