Why does a town honor its veterans four days before Veterans Day? The 2026 Los Banos Veterans Parade steps off Saturday, November 7, at 11 a.m. The theme is "Salute to the Army." The following Wednesday is Veterans Day, and the Saturday after that is already taken. Most of the people who make the parade happen are committed to something else on both of those dates.
American Legion Post 166 and VFW Post 2487 joined forces to start the parade in 2014. According to the organizers, they chose the weekend before Veterans Day because Los Banos is a small town and didn't want to compete with the celebrations in larger neighboring towns. That's the short version. There are two more reasons, and you can see them on the schedule for the week that follows.
On November 11, the Parade's Own Volunteers Are Out Placing Flags
The posts behind the parade also run the Flag Service Program. On eight holidays a year, members of VFW Post 2487 and American Legion Post 166 put an American flag in front of each subscribing home or business. They place the flags around 6:30 a.m. and collect them again around 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. Veterans Day is one of those eight.
That adds up to a lot of flags. Parade Chairperson Patricia McCoy explained the date to the Los Banos Enterprise ahead of last year's parade:
"One reason is to avoid conflicts with much larger parades happening on Veterans Day. Another is because our Veterans are the same ones out at 5:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Veterans Day placing and retrieving more than 950 flags throughout the community for the Flag Program fundraiser."
The times she gave last year are an hour earlier than the ones on the program's page now. Either way, the job takes up the whole day. A holiday parade would need the same people to march, staff the announcer stands and run the post-parade lunch while hundreds of flags are still out on lawns and storefronts all over town.
The fundraiser is also how many households in Los Banos take part in Veterans Day without going to any event. The first year costs $80. That covers the flag, the pole, drilling the hole and the first year of service. After that, renewal is $30 a year. To sign up, mail the form and a check to VFW Flag Service, PO Box 2131, Los Banos, CA 93635. The flag service page lists VFW Commander Mike Hughes as the contact, at 209-704-5301.
The Second Saturday Belongs to the Bands
The Wednesday holiday is out, and so is the Saturday after it. McCoy told the Enterprise that Los Banos has four school bands that march in the parade, and that "if it were held on the second Saturday of November, they wouldn't be able to participate because that's the same day as the Central Valley Band Review in Merced."
That conflict hasn't gone away. The Northern California Band Association lists the Central California Band Review for November 14, 2026, in Merced, with parade, field show and jazz events. Golden Valley High School's Cardinal Regime hosts the review at its campus. The host's event page says bands compete in parade, field show, color guard, percussion and jazz categories.
Merced has also scheduled its own holiday parade for Veterans Day. Central Valley Voice reported on October 22 that the Merced County Veterans Service Office will hold the 22nd annual Veterans Day Parade on Wednesday, November 11. An opening ceremony starts at 1 p.m. at Bob Hart Square, and the parade follows at 2 p.m. downtown.
Here's how the next two weeks look:
| Date | Event | Who it ties up |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Los Banos Veterans Parade, 11 a.m. | Open, so Posts 166 and 2487, local bands and school floats can all take part |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Flag Service placement, about 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Los Banos post members |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Merced's 22nd annual Veterans Day Parade, 1 p.m. ceremony, 2 p.m. parade | The bigger regional event the founders didn't want to compete with |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Central California Band Review, Golden Valley High School, Merced | Los Banos's four school bands |
The first Saturday is the only date when everyone is free. "There's been a lot of thought behind the parade's date," McCoy told the Enterprise. "This event is put on by Veterans, for Veterans."
Every Year Salutes a Different Branch
Because the date stays put, the theme is what changes from year to year. The Enterprise describes the parade as honoring everyone who has served while featuring a different branch each year. The 2024 parade honored the Coast Guard, and 2025 honored the Space Force. This year it's the Army. Under the parade rules, every entry has to honor and thank veterans, and floats should be decorated for veterans, for the year's theme or with patriotic designs.
Schools fill a large share of the lineup. The Westside Express counted 68 entries in 2023, with Grasslands Elementary and FFA members from Los Banos and Pacheco high schools among them. In 2024 it reported more than 50 entries on a warm, sunny day. Grasslands Elementary, Creekside Junior High and Los Banos High each took first place for floats in their categories. A fire truck carried members of the Los Banos City Council, and a school bus carried the Los Banos Unified School District Board of Trustees.
The school contest has a set schedule. Most Patriotic School winners are announced at the Veterans Hall at about 1 p.m., and the awards are handed out at a later City Council meeting. In 2024, the paper reported that the parade started right at 11 a.m. and wrapped up an hour later.
Saturday Morning, in Order
The organizers' parade-day instructions give the timeline:
- 7 to 9:30 a.m. The American Legion Women's Auxiliary pancake breakfast at Veterans Memorial Hall, 615 E Street. Tickets are $15, up from $12 last year. You can buy them from any auxiliary member or pay at the door, and meals come to go.
- 9 a.m. Entries check in at the canopy at I Street and 7th Street and line up on K Street between 6th and 7th.
- 10:30 a.m. Every car has to be off the street or it will be towed.
- 11 a.m. The parade starts, and the instructions stress that it begins on time. Each entry stops at two announcer stands so its introduction can be read in full.
- After the parade. The route ends at Veterans Memorial Hall. The VFW and American Legion serve a thank-you hot dog lunch there for parade entries.
- About 1 p.m. Most Patriotic School winners are announced at the hall.
For a spot along the curb, the 2024 route ran along Sixth, I, Fourth, F and E streets. The 2026 route map is on the parade page, so check it before you head out. During the parade, restrooms are open at Westside Union School and in the Police Department lobby. Parade entries are not allowed to hand out candy or food, so children won't come home with a bag of it.
The Flags Go Out Again After Saturday
Saturday is the most visible part of a schedule the posts keep all year. Four days after the parade, subscriber flags line the streets for Veterans Day. On December 7, they go out again for Pearl Harbor Day, the last date on the Flag Service schedule. Twelve days after that, Wreaths Across America holds a ceremony at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, 32053 W. McCabe Road in Gustine, on December 19 at 9 a.m. Wreaths are placed right after the ceremony.
The parade committee is made up of volunteers, both veterans and non-veterans, and it welcomes new members. For parade questions, Patricia McCoy is at 209-587-5033. For staging, Larry Marques is at 209-761-4988.
The team at Concierge Homes will be cheering from the curb along the Westside on Saturday, November 7. If you'd like to talk about how local schedules like this one shape life in Los Banos, or anything else about your home here, contact us. We're glad to help.
