Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Mill Creek's annual Veterans Day celebration will honor the past, present, and future of military service. The public can partake in a commemorative ceremony, the parade, and admire the assembly of military memorability Nov. 11.  

The commemorative ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at Veterans Monument in Mill Creek's Library Park. The ceremony will include opening remarks from Mayor Pam Pruitt and several distinctive guest speakers, followed by the presentation of and raising of the colors. 

The event will pay respects to past and present veterans with songs sung by the Mill Creek Chorale. A wreath, boots, rifle, and helmet will be on site to pay tribute to the service of all U.S. military veterans. A local Girl Scout troop will pass out poppies to observers to place at the foot of Veterans Monument.

Following the commemorative ceremony, the public is invited to appreciate the military memorabilia. Vehicles will be staged along Main Street and inside merchant display windows. The displays, including many heritage uniforms, are made possible by local veterans and numerous Snohomish and King County museums.

The Veterans Day celebratory parade begins promptly at 11 a.m. and will last approximately one hour. The procession will make its way through Mill Creek Town Center from LA Fitness to Mill Creek City Hall. 

This patriotic event features military and high school bands, color guards, vintage military vehicles, local community organizations, and local veterans and their families. A full listing of parade participants can be viewed at http://www.millcreektoursim.com/veteransday.

"Mill Creek's Veterans Day events are intended to thank and honor military personnel who have served our country," said Gordon Brink, the City's Interim Communications and Marketing Director. "It's pretty special to see so many wonderful organizations, businesses, and our residents come together to support local veterans in this way."

Due to the large turnout expected for this annual event, plan accordingly in regards to the below traffic and parking procedures:

- Main Street between 148th Street SE and City Hall North will close for parking between 10 a.m. and noon.

- The northbound turn lanes on Bothell-Everett Highway will be blocked off at 151st Street SE, 153rd Street SE, and 156th Street SE at about 10:30 a.m. Southbound traffic can still make right-hand turns onto those streets. 

- 153rd Street SE will be blocked to through-traffic at about 10:45 a.m. and will reopen after the parade passes by.

- From Mill Creek Blvd, traffic can turn north on Main Street, but will be diverted to an access road south of Run 26.

- The north LA Fitness parking lot will close at 6 a.m. for parade staging. Patrons can park in the south lot, but are advised that once the parade starts, access in and out will be temporarily stopped.

These Veterans Day events would not be possible without funding from Sprouts Farmers Market, Fred Meyer, Waste Management, Central Market, Sullivan Orthodontics, Community Transit, Nancy's Noah's Ark, and Starbucks.