LEONARDTOWN — For half a century, Southern Maryland has spent the morning of Nov. 11 lining the streets of the St. Mary’s County seat. The tradition continues next week.
The Commissioners of Leonardtown and the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will host the 51st annual Veterans Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony in downtown Leonardtown on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the town announced. Counting back, the first parade stepped off in 1976, the year of the nation’s bicentennial.
A tradition that draws a region
For readers new to the area, this is no small-town walk-through. U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer told Congress in 2011 that the Leonardtown parade was the largest in the state, according to his Congressional Record statement. In past years, the lineup has included veterans, elected officials, high school marching bands, military units and color guards, classic cars, Scouts, motorcycles, horses and fire and rescue equipment.
The day is built in two parts. The parade travels about a mile through downtown, starting near St. Mary’s Ryken High School and moving along Fenwick Street, then ends in Town Square, where the memorial ceremony and wreath laying follow at the town’s veterans monuments.
The event has not run every year as planned. The 2020 parade was modified during the pandemic, and in 2022 organizers canceled the parade. The standing weather plan in recent years: if conditions are bad, the parade is canceled and the memorial ceremony moves indoors to Leonardtown Town Hall at 22670 Washington St.
Planning to go
The town’s release for this year includes parking and road-closure details. In recent years, Washington and Fenwick streets into downtown have closed from 8 a.m. to noon, with free shuttles from the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds and the Governmental Center, as the Chronicle reported in its 2025 parade coverage. The parade has traditionally stepped off at 10 a.m.
Questions can go to the Commissioners of Leonardtown at 301-475-9791. Weather decisions and updates are typically posted on the Town of Leonardtown’s Facebook page and the St. Mary’s County Government website.
