NYC to Host ‘Homecoming of Heroes’ Parade in 2026, Starting at Battery Tunnel

By Idy Perl

Mayor Adams and NYC Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) Commissioner James Hendon announced that New York City will host a parade next year to celebrate the service of post-9/11 servicemembers and veterans. This will be the first time a parade to recognize the veterans of the post-9/11 Global War on Terror will be held in a major city in the nation. 

The “Homecoming of Heroes: A Ticker Tape Parade Honoring Our Post-9/11 Combat Veterans and Their Families,” parade will take place on Monday, July 6, 2026, and will be a tribute to the service and sacrifice of those that fought the Global War on Terror. 

“The ‘Homecoming of Heroes’ parade is not merely a celebration — it is a historic moment in which a major city unites to solemnly honor the extraordinary service, sacrifice, and resilience of our post-9/11 combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Mayor Adams said. “Our veterans and their families matter to us — not just during the wartime they fought in, but in the peacetime they achieved. This parade marks a small seed of our gratitude for all those who watered the tree of liberty so that we can sit under its shade. It is because of these brave men and women that we can cherish the most precious gift we have: our freedom.”

photo: Shutterstock