NYC Veterans Day Parade, Other Events Will Honor Military

NEW YORK, NY — Saturday is all about veterans, and the 1.6 million in the New York City area will get the nation's biggest parade. The annual NYC Veterans Day Parade will draw tens of thousands of marchers to Manhattan on Saturday morning, including veterans of all ages, according to its sponsor, the United Veterans War Council.

Pioneering astronaut Buzz Aldrin is the grand marshal of this year's parade, which will commemorate the 100th anniversary of America's entry into World War I in 1917. Aldrin, the second person to ever step on the moon, is a U.S. Air Force veteran and will help celebrate the Air Force's 70th birthday.

An opening ceremony at the Eternal Light Memorial in Madison Square Park will precede the parade. The memorial has been a focal point of Veterans Day ceremonies since its post-World War I dedication on Nov. 11, 1923, according to the Parks Department.

The parade is just one part of Veterans Week, a series of events honoring veterans and offering them resources and bargains.

Here are the details for the parade and other big Veterans Week events.

2017 NYC Veterans Day Parade

• Who: Grand marshal Buzz Aldrin and tens of thousands of marchers, including veterans and performers
• When: Opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11; parade kicks off at 11:15 a.m.
• Where: Opening ceremony at Madison Square Park; parade proceeds up Fifth Avenue from 26th Street to 52nd Street

Theater of War at 9/11 Memorial Museum

• Who: Actors including Bill Camp, Kathryn Erbe and city Councilman Jumaane Williams will present a staged reading of "Ajax," a Sophocles play about a Greek warrior who struggles with shame after battle.
• When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8
• Where: 9/11 Memorial Museum, 180 Greenwich Street in Manhattan

Free IMAX Screening of "Dunkirk"

• Who: Active duty military, veterans and their families can get free seats to Christopher Nolan's World War II drama. RSVP at this link.
• When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11
• Where: AMC Loews 34th Street IMAX Theater, 312 W. 34th St.

Heroes Meet Heroes

• Who: Military service members and veterans will get a chance to meet U.S. Olympians at this free event. Guest speakers this year include Paul W. Bucha and Cedric Jones. RSVP at this link.
• When: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12
• Where: New York Athletic Club at 58th Street and Seventh Avenue

(Lead image: A girl helps carry a large American flag during the 2016 NYC Veterans Day Parade. Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)