In 1984 and 1985, Julius Forcucci walked Petaluma's Veterans Day route by himself, carrying an American flag. For the 17 years before that, from 1967 to 1983, he had walked it with two friends who had served with him in World War I. Then in 1986, 50 veterans walked with him, and that year is when the parade's own history says the annual parade began.
Forcucci died on Sept. 7, 1988, at 94. At that November's parade, a riderless horse with its stirrups tied to the saddle led the procession in his honor.
By the early 1990s the parade had 100 entries. The 2019 parade had more than 200 entries and over 2,000 participants, and organizers estimated the crowd at about 40,000. Organizers call it the largest Veterans Day parade north of the Golden Gate.
So the biggest Veterans Day parade in the North Bay began with one man's walk, and it is still put together the same way. Local veterans' posts organize it. Any group in town can apply for a spot. The application asks for 40 words describing your entry. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, it steps off for the 2026 edition.
A weekday parade with a 250th-anniversary theme
The 2026 theme is "Celebrating 250 Years of the United States of America," according to the Argus-Courier's Oct. 3 announcement. The paper described the event as "at times solemn, sometimes celebratory" and as "a heartfelt salute to past, present and future members of the U.S. armed forces."
The parade is held on Nov. 11 itself, not the nearest weekend. Last year that meant a Tuesday. This year it lands on a Wednesday. A 1 p.m. start in the middle of the week is a big part of the day's character. Downtown fills with spectators in the early afternoon of a regular workday, so anyone with errands near Walnut Park or along Petaluma Boulevard should plan around it.
The Grand Marshal is Andrew LeMarQuand, Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1929. The pick fits the parade's structure. The 2025 application calls the parade a joint effort of Petaluma's veterans' groups, and it lists Joe Noriel as coordinator for American Legion Post 28. Noriel is named again this year as the parade organizer.
How the day runs, hour by hour
The schedule below comes from the parade's website and the Argus-Courier announcement.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | Entries stage; street monitors hand out assigned numbers | Fourth Street, from D Street to I Street |
| Noon to 1 p.m. | An hour of music by Johnathan Parneli and Friends | Walnut Park and the gazebo |
| 1 p.m. | Parade steps off | Walnut Park |
| About 2:45 p.m. | Closing program with speakers, an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem and "God Bless America" | The gazebo at Walnut Park |
Andrea Krout will sing the National Anthem and "God Bless America" at the closing program. The closing program makes the parade a full afternoon. If you only see the procession go by, you miss the part of the day that most resembles a ceremony.
The route is a loop, so where you stand matters
Visit Petaluma gives the route this way. The parade leaves Walnut Park, goes up Fourth and Kentucky streets to Washington Street, and comes back to Walnut Park on Petaluma Boulevard.
Because the route starts and ends at the same park, you can see the step-off and the closing program without moving. Walnut Park has the gazebo music before the parade and the speakers after it. If you pick a spot along Kentucky Street or Petaluma Boulevard, you will see the procession at a later point on the loop. You will also need to walk back to the park for the 2:45 p.m. program.
Petaluma's veterans' groups and the City usually post street closures, detours and parking details closer to the date. Before you drive downtown on the 11th, check the City of Petaluma's updates.
What goes by: horses, motorcycles, a Huey
The Argus-Courier lists the parade's traditions. Military parents and military children ride or walk together. The Petaluma Riding and Driving Color Guard rides in it, along with the USCG Two Rock and Cotati Harley Club. The official name, Veterans Day Parade & Flyover, comes from what happens overhead. A Vietnam-era Huey helicopter makes a symbolic flyover and landing, and other aircraft fly over too.
Last year's flyover followed the same pattern. The Press Democrat's 2025 parade coverage reported the Huey flying with "a trio of low-flying planes."
Last year shows how the entry list fills up
The 2025 parade shows how the event adds new pieces each year. The Grand Marshal was Redwood Empire Military Women Unit 77, and the Argus-Courier reported that the parade honored servicewomen from every military branch. The Press Democrat wrote that thousands turned out under gray skies that broke now and then into warm sunlight.
Two of the 2025 entries highlighted in that Press Democrat story show how wide the entry list runs:
- Vets in Corvettes drove veterans along the route.
- The American Indian Preservation Fund brought a convoy carrying two 20-foot dugout canoes hand-carved from redwood, honoring Native American veterans.
The federal government shutdown complicated last year's parade. Before the parade, the Argus-Courier reported that the Coast Guard would not officially join. Noriel told the paper that some personnel could volunteer in civilian clothes. The same article noted Press Democrat reporting that some were allowed to appear in uniform. Even without an official Coast Guard unit, the parade went on with local groups and volunteers.
How a local group gets into the lineup
Getting into the parade is simple. The Argus-Courier's 2026 announcement reports that organizers welcome "community groups, nonprofits and organizations of all kinds" to build floats, turn out in large numbers, or ride or walk in support of veterans.
The 2026 application is a download from the parade site, and it asks for three things:
- The name of the entry and its main participants
- A phone number or email
- Up to 40 words describing the entry, which announcers read to the crowd as the entry passes
The entry fee is $70, which covers costs and helps veterans in need. The fee started in 2025, when the 2025 application said the Post was implementing it, and the 2026 form keeps it at the same amount. Questions go to Joe Noriel at 707-776-7534.
The parade site also thanks Friedman's, Exchange Bank and the event's donors for making the parade possible. The money comes from local sponsors and $70 entry fees, and the announcer reads each group's own 40-word description as it passes. That is how Petaluma got from three men walking in 1967 to more than 200 entries in 2019.
Planning your Wednesday afternoon
The parade is less than a week away. For most households the practical plan is to be downtown by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Come at noon if you want the gazebo music at Walnut Park and a spot near the start, then stay for the 2:45 p.m. program if you want to hear the speakers and Andrea Krout. If you are marching, arrive at Fourth Street by 11 a.m. to get your number.
Watch the sky after the parade steps off for the Huey, which the Argus-Courier lists among the parade's traditions. This year's theme marks 250 years of the country. It also comes 40 years after 50 veterans joined Julius Forcucci in 1986.
Jen Birmingham is proud to call Petaluma home, and we'll see you downtown on Nov. 11. If you're near Walnut Park and want to talk about your own place in town, whether that's a free home valuation or a seller consultation, reach out anytime. We're glad to help.
