LAKE NONA, Fla. — Orlando’s 26th annual Veterans Day parade was in a new setting this year: Lake Nona.

What You Need To Know

The city of Orlando held its annual Veterans Day parade Saturday

This year, it was in Lake Nona instead of Downtown Orlando

Veterans, families and friends lined the streets to honor the nation’s heroes ahead of Veterans Day on Tuesday

Anyone who has been to one before may have noticed a difference in their commute. Traditionally, the parade is held in Downtown Orlando.

“It’s something a little different this year. Traditionally it’s been in downtown, so our Veterans Advisory Committee suggested that we try it out here in Lake Nona to emphasize the great VA hospital and the medical services that they provide for veterans out here,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Lake Nona is in District One, represented by commissioner Jim Gray, who says it is a special honor for his district to host this year’s parade.

“I’m a veteran. I was in the United States Air Force from ‘75 to ‘78. I loved it, so it means a lot to me,” said Gray. “But as you can see just by the attendance and people here, veterans and our safety means so much to everybody so we’re glad to host.”

This year’s theme was “Service to our Nation.” The parade route was a little more than one mile, starting at Laureate Park Elementary School and finishing at the Lake Nona Town Center. Elected officials, veteran organizations, high school JROTCs, and the UCF Air Force and Army ROTCs were among some of the parade participants. 

Glenn Huang, a U.S. Navy Veteran, says it was his first time watching the city’s parade. He lives in Lake Nona and says the route passes his home.

“It makes me feel really proud. This is the next generation of who defends us and what we fought for. So it’s really impressive to see how many people have shown up, how many new people are training to be our next armed forces, that’s really very reassuring for me,” said Huang.

Once every float made its way out, parade viewers and participants had the chance to come together at the Lake Nona Town Center for a post-parade celebration.