The Virginia War Memorial will host the 69th annual Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 on the memorial’s grounds at 621 S. Belvidere St.

The public is invited to attend the free outdoor event, which honors Virginians who have served in the U.S. armed forces from the Revolutionary War to the present. The ceremony will include a tribute to Virginia Blue Star families, recognition of the Virginia Military Family of the Year, and the announcement of the winners of the 2025 Veterans Day Student Essay Contest. 

Patriotic music will be performed by the Combined Northside High School Choir from Roanoke. 

“This year’s Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony is especially meaningful as it was 250 years ago that the Continental Congress formed the first American Army, Navy and Marine Corps and whose members became America’s first military veterans,” said Virginia War Memorial Director Clay Mountcastle. “We honor and remember them every day, but Veterans Day is especially meaningful.” 

The ceremony will take place in the E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 2:30 p.m. for seating. Parking will be available in the memorial’s surface lot, underground deck and nearby streets. The memorial’s grounds and exhibit hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be televised live on WTVR CBS 6 and livestreamed on WTVR.com. 

More information is available at vawarmemorial.org or by calling (804) 786-2060.