What to Know
- Forest Lawn Glendale's Veterans Day Celebration will happen virtually at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11
- Battleship USS Iowa presents a virtual concert at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 11
- Nov. 11 is a free day in all entrance fee-charging national parks
A number of Veterans Day celebrations and ceremonies will continue in 2020 as virtual happenings, transforming into from-home events that will deliver the meaningfulness, togetherness, and grateful grandeur we seek on Nov. 11.
Knowing when to turn on your computer, though, is key. And knowing where to go for one enduring, in-person Veterans Day tradition is also important, too.
That in-person observance of the day? It's not a ceremony but a nationwide thank you on behalf of the National Park Service.
All fee-charging national parks will waive admission on Nov. 11, including Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park.
There are well over 100 such parks around the country, so expect plenty of veterans, their families, and other people seeking a way to honor the day to be out in nature.
Peace, solitude, reflection, and fall hikes await.
This is also the final 2020 free day on the National Park Service schedule.
In Los Angeles, a few festivities are moving forward as online events, including the multi-faceted, pomp-filled presentation at Forest Lawn Glendale.
That starts at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Look for a keynote speech from Stephanie Stone, the Director of Veteran Affairs for Los Angeles County, and a military flyover from the Condor Squadron.
Music, a benediction, and a presidential proclamation are also on the schedule. The place to see it all? Visit Forest Lawn's Facebook page for the Facebook Live! to-do.
And later in the day on Nov. 11? There's a virtual concert from the Battleship USS Iowa, which shares a moving message in honor of the occasion: "United We Stand, Stronger Together."
The concert will take place on the battleship's Facebook at 7:30 in the evening.
In addition to a host of complimentary meals for veterans on Nov. 11, look also for fundraisers like the one happening at Cafe Sevilla in Costa Mesa through Nov. 15 (The Special Liberty Project is the beneficiary), and "Rock to Remember," "a musical celebration of US Military Veterans."
The concert is spotlighting Guitars 4 Vets, which helps connect veterans with music programs and more. Want to help out? You can donate now.
