U.S. military veterans will once again be the honored guests at the Fourth Annual Old Spanish Trail parade on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Dayton. Held prior to Veterans Day every year, the OST parade pays homage to the historic US 90 that connected St. Augustin, Fla., to San Diego, Calif., and all the communities in between, including Dayton.
In years past, the veterans have enjoyed being a part of the parade; however there has been one missing component – spectators to cheer them on as they passed by.
Dayton Mayor Caroline Wadzeck is making an effort to change that by encouraging people to line the path that will take the veterans as they travel from the Dayton Community Center, 801 S. Cleveland St., Dayton, and head eastward to Liberty on US 90. Once in Liberty, the parade will travel around the Liberty County Courthouse before returning to Dayton for the rest of the Old Spanish Trail event.
The veterans will be riding in style as they will be seated in an assortment of classic and antique cars. Last year, dozens of car enthusiasts participated and all the veterans who wanted to participate in the parade were given a ride.
“Wave flags and have a good time cheering these deserving heroes and admiring the old cars,” Wadzeck said.
Parade entries will gather at 9:30 a.m. that day and the parade will begin at 10 a.m. sharp. The trip to Liberty and back will take roughly a half-hour, so only a small amount of time is needed to make the day special for the veterans and to cheer them on.
If you are interested in seeing the vehicles up close, then venture over to the Dayton Community Center afterward where the cars will be on display until noon and food trucks will be serving up a wide variety of items.