Honoring Veterans in RI: A full list of events, parades and deals for Veterans Day 2023

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday in 1938. 

On June 1, 1954, Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, shifting the emphasis from commemoration of the end of World War I in favor of honoring all veterans from all American wars. 

All around Rhode Island, cities and towns, restaurants and golf courses are honoring the sacrifice of veterans. Cranston, North Kingston and Westerly are hosting parades. Meanwhile, East Providence, Smithfield and Warwick will host services at war memorials. Beyond that, there are several deals, charity events and activities around Rhode Island.

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Here’s a listing of Veterans Day events:

Bristol

The State of Rhode Island’s Annual Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, starting at 2 p.m. at the Rhode Island Veterans Home. 

Cranston

A Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 11:30 a.m. The route will start in front of Legion Bowl on Park Avenue continuing past City Hall on to Hayward Street and down Rolfe Street. After the parade, a ceremony will be held at Cannon Memorial

Park View Middle School’s 10th Annual Park View 5K Run/Walk is being held Saturday, Nov, 11, at 9:30 a.m. It starts at the school, 25 Park View Blvd. The course is around Roger Williams Park. Contact Garrett McWeeney gmcweeney@cpsed.net

East Providence

The City of East Providence is hosting its annual Veterans Day Ceremony to honor all of our veterans. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Garden of Flags at Veterans Memorial Park. We encourage all to attend to recognize all of our veterans.

Free haircuts for veterans will be offered at Amy’s Barbershop, 1086 Willet Ave, Riverside, on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointments will be taken. First come, first serve.

Glocester

The Veterans Day golf tournament at Glocester Country Club is Saturday, Nov. 11, with a 10 a.m. breakfast and an 11 a.m. shotgun start. The event is free for Veterans and serving military, and is co-sponsored by the Marine Corps League. This nine-hole scramble will feature a brief ceremony honoring all veterans prior to the start. Veterans and active duty military also receive complimentary carts continental breakfast, dinner drinks, and a sweatshirt in addition to the waived entry fee. Proceeds from a raffle will benefit Wreaths Across America 2023 sponsored by Ponagansett High School. The event is limited to 64 veteran active duty, military golfers. To register, or to sponsor a veteran for $50, please reach out to Vincent LaFazia at (401) 233-2564 or email fazigilly54@gmail.com

Newport

Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co., in partnership with Jamestown-based charity, Orion Military Scholarships, will be sponsoring “Red, White & Brews” on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. The event will be held at Newport Craft’s Brewery, 293 JT Connell Hwy. in Newport.

The celebration, which honors military veterans, is open to the public, and will offer specialty beers, a full outdoor cash bar, a heated event tent, live music, an Orion charity raffle and Wally’s Wiener Wagon.

North Kingstown

On Saturday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m., a Veterans Day Parade will follow the lengths of West Main and Brown Streets through Wickford Village onto Boston Neck Road to Airway Drive and North Kingstown High School for concluding ceremonies which will begin at 11 a.m.

Smithfield

All veterans are invited for coffee and doughnuts on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Veterans Memorial in Deerfield Park. For more information, call Balfour-Cole Post 64 American Legion at (401) 300-4550.

South Kingston

The Rhode Island Model Rocketry Association invites all veterans and serving military to participate in a Free Rocket Launch at the URI Peckham Farm Field in West Kingston on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rockets provided for Veterans, or you can can bring a rocket you built yourself. Just show your veterans or military ID. Veterans will have access to the low-power pads (A-D motors). For access to mid-power and high-power pads, Veterans will need to be NAR members (https://www.nar.org/join-nar/). To register, email Lucy DiMase: lucy.dimase@va.gov. The general public may watch the launch at no charge.

A URI Veterans Day Ceremony will be held Friday, Nov. 10, at 11 a.m. at the Hope Room of the Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center, 45 Upper College Rd., Kingston. URI’s Center for Military and Veteran Education (CMVE) and the Student Veterans Organization invite everyone to participate. Refreshments will follow a brief speaking program. Parking is available in the lot directly behind the welcome center. According to CMVE director Bob Flynn, more than 300 members of the faculty and staff at URI are affiliated with the military, and nearly 200 children of veterans are URI students. The Student Veterans Organization will be collecting non-perishable food items on behalf of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for anyone wishing to donate. For further information reach out to the The Center for Military and Veteran Education at (401) 874-5213.

Warwick

Bishop Hendricken and Iggy’s Boardwalk will host their annual Veterans Day Breakfast to honor those who have served. All veterans, retired, and active-duty military and their families will eat for free and may choose between two serving times at Iggy’s Boardwalk in Warwick on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m.

All veterans are invited to attend and should RSVP to Gina Dooley at (401) 921-8236 or gina.a.dooley@warwickri.gov or Daniel Friel at (401) 889-5396 or dfriel@hendricken.com by Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

Fr. Marciano will host a prayer service in honor of Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 1pm in the War Memorial Prayer Garden on campus. Joining Fr. Marciano at the ceremony with remarks will be Brig. Gen. Thomas Hannon, a 36-year, full time member of the Air National Guard and Chief of Staff for RI National Guard who once worked on the Warwick Police Department for 23 years, retiring in the rank of captain and Officer in Command of the Detective Division. All are invited to attend; no RSVP required.

Westerly

The Westerly-Pawcatuck Veterans Board of Control presents the annual Westerly-Pawcatuck Veterans Day parade on Saturday, Nov. 11, starting at 9:30 a.m. The parade will begin at the Pawcatuck Shopping Center and proceed down Route 234 to West Broad Street into Westerly via High Street then onto Railroad Avenue, ending at the Westerly Armory. There will be a guest speaker and music at the Westerly Armory at the conclusion of the parade.

Resources available through the VA

The Veterans Affairs website has published a list of nationally available Veterans Day discounts, meals or other ways businesses and organizations want to honor veterans. The list is updated regularly as new offers come in. To access the list, click on this direct link: https://news.va.gov/109711/veterans-day-discounts-free-meals/

Veterans can get free breakfast and coffee at most VA medical centers on Nov. 9 thanks to the Veterans Canteen Service. Check out all the Veterans Day deals and offers from VCS. https://news.va.gov/125509/canteen-service-free-breakfast-veterans-day.

If you know of additional Veterans Day events taking place, please email Donna McGarry at dmcgarry@providencejournal.com to be added to this list.