Philadelphia is where the Continental Navy and Marines were founded and where the nation itself began. Few cities have a deeper connection to the people who’ve served. This year Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, November 11, but the city starts celebrating the weekend before.
Whether you’re a veteran, part of a military family, or just want to say thank you, here’s where to go this week.
Saturday, November 7: Laugh It Out with Heroes Off Duty
Kick off the weekend with the Heroes Off Duty Comedy Tour. It’s a stand-up lineup of cops, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors, pharmacists and military veterans telling the wild, funny and very human stories they can’t share while on duty. The tour comes from the creators of Bored Teachers and has become one of the most popular first-responder comedy shows in the country.
- When: Saturday, November 7, 2:00 p.m.
- Where: Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom Street (Rittenhouse)
- Tickets: Get tickets at Helium
- Good to know: The show is 21+. Guests 18 and up can attend with a parent or legal guardian over 30, and everyone needs a valid government-issued ID.
- Date-night option: Helium’s Couple’s Package includes two premium seats, a $90 food and drink credit, gratuity and ticket protection.
There’s only one show and Helium is an intimate room, so book early. It’s a great way to bring a veteran or first responder in your life out for an afternoon of laughs. They’ll have earned it.
Saturday, November 7 – Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day at Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary in Fairmount was an active prison from the Civil War through the Vietnam War, and hundreds of the staff, prisoners and wardens who lived and worked there served in the military. Over Veterans Day weekend, the historic site is telling their stories with family-friendly programs, all included with admission:
- Pop-up exhibit: Veterans and Wartime at Eastern State. Photos, documents and artifacts from the penitentiary’s history.
- Pop-up talks: World War I at Eastern State. Short guided talks on the site’s WWI history.
- Video screening: Veterans, Prisons, and Courts Today. A look at how the justice system affects veterans now.
- When: Saturday, November 7 through Wednesday, November 11, during regular hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
- Where: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue
- Details: Eastern State’s Veterans Day page
It’s an especially good pick for history lovers and families with older kids.
Sunday, November 8: The 12th Annual Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival
This is the city’s signature Veterans Day event, and in Philly’s 250th-anniversary year it’s bigger than ever. The Philadelphia region is home to about 70,000 veterans, and this parade honors every branch of service with marching bands, veteran service organizations, law enforcement, emergency vehicles and plenty of hometown pride.
- Parade: Steps off at noon at 21st Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It heads up the Parkway and ends just past the Philadelphia Art Museum.
- Festival: 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Eakins Oval, with live music, food trucks, an Evil Genius beer garden and veteran resource tables.
- Cost: Free and open to everyone
- Can’t make it? It’s televised live on 6abc.
The Veterans Festival at Eakins Oval, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
When the parade wraps up, the celebration moves to the Veterans Festival at Eakins Oval, right in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. It’s free, family-friendly and a great place to linger with friends and neighbors.
- Live music: Philly vocalist Sanovia (gospel, hip-hop, R&B and soul) from 12:45 to 2:00 p.m., then singer-songwriter Ami Yares from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m.
- Food trucks: Many Hands Coffee, Grubaholics, Letz Eat, Fox and Son, Beck’s Cajun, Deke’s BBQ, Mozzarepas, Victor’s Pizza Truck, Little Sicilian and Hardy’s Funnel Cake
- Beer garden: Evil Genius Beer Company
- Resources: Tables from local veteran service organizations and community partners
This year’s Grand Marshal is Roosevelt Farrow. The Hometown Heroes include WWII veteran William DiFrancesco, a Germantown native and the youngest of four brothers who were all drafted into the war.
Tips:
- Expect road closures along the Parkway and SEPTA detours. Take transit or give yourself extra time.
- The event goes on rain or shine, so dress for the weather.
- Bring the kids. It’s a family-friendly afternoon and a meaningful way to teach the next generation what service means.
Sunday, November 8: What I Want You to Know Film Screening & Conversation
For a quieter, deeply moving way to spend Sunday afternoon, Cranaleith in the Northeast is screening What I Want You to Know. In this intimate documentary, veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan share personal stories from their deployments, alongside real images and footage from both wars. These are the kinds of stories usually told only to other veterans.
After the film, a facilitated reflection and conversation explores moral injury: the deep wounds that can come when what someone did or saw conflicts with their core values. No special experience is needed. The program is open to veterans, civilians, caregivers and family members, and a trained professional will be on site to support attendees.
- When: Sunday, November 8, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
- Where: Cranaleith, 13475 Proctor Road, Philadelphia (Northeast Philly)
- Register: Sign up on Cranaleith’s event page. Questions go to programs@cranaleith.org.
- Please note: The film contains graphic war imagery and isn’t suitable for all audiences.
It runs at the same time as the parade and festival, so choose the one that fits your day. If you’d like to do both, the parade airs live on 6abc.
Sunday, November 8 – Wednesday, November 11: Free Admission at the Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution offers free walk-in admission to active-duty service members, veterans and Blue Star Families from Sunday through Veterans Day. Its current exhibition, The Declaration’s Journey, fits right in with Philadelphia’s 250th year.
- Where: 101 S. 3rd Street (Old City)
- Tip: It’s a short walk from the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memorials at Penn’s Landing, so it’s easy to pair with a ceremony on Veterans Day.
Tuesday, November 10: U.S. Marine Corps 251st Birthday Block Party
The Marine Corps was born in Philadelphia, at Tun Tavern in 1775, so there’s no better place to celebrate its birthday. The Tun Legacy Foundation is throwing a free, all-day block party at the future site of The Tun®, the historic tavern being recreated near its original Old City location.
- When: Tuesday, November 10, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Where: 2nd and Chestnut Streets (Old City)
- Cost: Free and open to the public
- Details and sign-up: The Tun Legacy Foundation
Highlights:
- 10:00 a.m.: Phillies broadcaster Gregg Murphy kicks things off as emcee, followed by the Philly Fife and Drum Company and acoustic duo Hancock & Espo.
- Noon: The traditional birthday cake-cutting ceremony with the oldest and youngest Marines in attendance, plus the Pipes and Drums of the St. Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia and Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment out of Bristol, PA.
- 1:00 p.m.: Philly rock band Superunknown
- 2:00 p.m.: Remarks from Sergeant Major Carlos A. Ruiz, the 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, and a moving Oath of Enlistment as dozens of future Marines are sworn in
- 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.: The Marine Forces Reserve Band Jazz Combo, the Quaker City String Band, Superunknown again and the Marine Forces Reserve Band Popular Music Group, with a DJ closing out the day
Special guests also include WWII Marine Stephen Anderson and Navy Cross recipient Gunnery Sergeant Aubrey Leon McDade Jr. (Ret.). You’ll also find historical reenactors, food trucks, a beer garden, community booths and The Tun® merchandise.
It’s an easy walk from the Museum of the American Revolution, so you can make a full Old City afternoon of it.
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day Ceremonies
For a quieter, reflective way to mark the day, Philadelphia traditionally holds Veterans Day ceremonies at several memorials:
- Philadelphia Korean War Memorial, Front and Dock Streets at Penn’s Landing. It honors the 610 service members from Philadelphia and nearby suburbs who died in the Korean War.
- Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Front and Spruce Streets at Penn’s Landing. It honors the more than 640 Philadelphians lost in Vietnam.
- Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, Washington Square
These ceremonies have usually been held in late morning and around midday. Check each memorial’s website for this year’s times before you go.
At 11:00 a.m., wherever you are, take a moment. The time marks the 1918 armistice that ended World War I and became the reason we observe Veterans Day.
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day at Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia
Treat a veteran in your life to brunch, or a burger on the house. Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia, a few blocks from Independence Hall, is marking Veterans Day two ways:
- Veterans Day Brunch, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.: A brunch menu of classic favorites, plus mimosas, Bloody Marys and handcrafted cocktails. It’s a great way to gather friends and family and thank those who served.
- Free burger for military, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.: Show a valid military ID for a free Classic Smashed Burger, plus 15% off food and drinks (which you can combine with the free burger) and 15% off retail purchases.
- Where: Hard Rock Cafe, 1113 Market Street (Market East)
- Reservations: Book on OpenTable through Hard Rock’s brunch page. Veterans Day is a holiday for many people, so reserving ahead is a good idea.
- Offer details: Hard Rock’s Honoring Our Veterans page
More Ways to Say Thank You
You don’t need a parade to honor a veteran. A few simple ideas:
- Thank a veteran by name. Call, text or write a note to someone in your life who served.
- Support a veteran-owned business this week, for coffee, a meal or a service you were going to buy anyway.
- Ask about their story if they’re open to sharing. Many veterans say this means more than any discount.
- Give to or volunteer with a local veterans organization, like the Veterans Multi-Service Center in Old City, which supports veterans facing homelessness and hardship.
Bonus: Flyers Military Appreciation Night, Tuesday, November 17
Want to keep the gratitude going? The Philadelphia Flyers host Military Appreciation Night presented by Toyota against the Buffalo Sabres on November 17. The first 10,000 fans get a camo hat.
To every veteran and military family in our community: thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We’re proud to call you neighbors.
Event details can change, so please confirm dates and times with each organizer before heading out.