On November 11, activities will start at 10 a.m. at City Hall. Allen Parkway and Bagby will have closures in the morning, while some restrictions will begin the day before.
Houston will celebrate Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 with a ceremony in front of City Hall and a parade through downtown. The activities will be free and open to the public.
The celebration, named Houston Salutes American Heroes Veterans Day Celebration, will include participation from veteran organizations, student military training units, bands, and other community groups. Drivers traveling through downtown Houston should anticipate traffic restrictions from the early morning hours.
Chase Untermeyer will participate in the City Hall ceremony
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on the steps of Houston City Hall, located at 901 Bagby St.
Among the announced participants is Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, a professor at the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, who will deliver the principal address.
At 11 a.m. a moment of silence will be observed in memory of the Armistice of November 11, 1918, which ended fighting in World War I.
Veterans Day is observed in the United States each November 11 to recognize the service of those who have served in the Armed Forces.
The Veterans Parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Dallas and Bagby
The Veterans Parade, officially called the American Heroes Parade, will depart at 11:30 a.m. from the intersection of Dallas Street and Bagby Street.
The route announced by the City of Houston will follow these streets:
- Dallas Street: eastbound from Bagby.
- Louisiana Street: turn north.
- Walker Street: proceed west.
- Smith Street: turn south.
- Lamar Street: proceed west.
- Bagby Street: end at the intersection with Lamar.
People wishing to watch the parade may position themselves in accessible public spaces along the route, respecting the directions of the event staff and traffic controllers.
Allen Parkway and Bagby will close from 9 a.m. on November 11
The city announced the following restrictions for Wednesday:
- 9 a.m.: closure of Allen Parkway in both directions between Taft and Bagby.
- 9 a.m.: closure of the north-side bike lane on Lamar, adjacent to Sam Houston Park.
- 9:45 a.m.: closure of Bagby between Clay and McKinney.
- 9:45 a.m.: closure of Bagby heading south at Walker Street.
The McKinney exit ramp will remain open. However, vehicles using that exit should head north on Bagby.
Vehicle passage may also be temporarily interrupted at intersections used by the parade. Those needing to travel to downtown in the morning may consider routes that avoid the streets along the parade route.
McKinney and Walker will have restricted lanes starting Tuesday, November 10
The event preparations will begin on Tuesday, November 10 at 8 a.m. and will affect certain curb-adjacent lanes until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11.
- McKinney, blocks 400 and 500: restriction of the northbound curb lane.
- Walker, blocks 400 and 500: restrictions of the curb-adjacent lanes on the north and south sides.
These measures are for the setup of the event and do not constitute a full closure of the two streets.
The City of Houston has not published a definitive reopening time for all Wednesday closures. The setup restriction schedules should not be interpreted as reopening times for Allen Parkway or Bagby.
The official Houston Veterans Day program contains the announced route and city information about closures. It is recommended to check it again before heading to downtown.
Related: This is how Houston celebrated Veterans Day in 2025.
