There are rare events in the Central Valley that have lasted for longer than a decade, much less a full century.
The quick list includes The Big Fresno Fair and Christmas Tree Lane, the Clovis Rodeo and … the Central Valley Veteran’s Day Parade, which has run continuously since 1919. Back then, it was known as the Armistice Day Parade and celebrated those returning at the end of World War I.
There was a brief hiatus in 1944, when the downtown Fresno parade was abandoned because of “war time shortages of gasoline and tires,” but even then, the celebration went on, with ceremonies held between halves of an afternoon college football game at Ratcliffe Stadium, according to a story in The Fresno Bee.
Following the U.S. involvement in World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day (and its accompanying parades and celebrations) was rebranded as Veterans Day and became a celebration of all those who have served across all branches of the United States military.
In Fresno, the day continues to be celebrated with a parade through downtown Fresno, which runs three-plus hours and can draw tens of thousands of spectators each year.