The City of Sarasota, in partnership with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, will host its annual Veterans Day parade at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 11, in downtown Sarasota.
This year’s parade will begin at Main Street and Orange Avenue, a new location from previous years, and end at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park at Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue, where the historic Doughboy War Memorial recently was restored. A ceremony honoring all who have served in the United States military will follow at approximately 11 a.m. The public is invited to attend.
Michael Bennett, a U.S. Navy veteran and longtime community leader, will deliver the keynote address. Following his military service, Bennett built a successful business career in the Sarasota-Manatee area and later served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. He retired as Manatee County Supervisor of Elections in 2024, after years of advocating for veterans’ causes…