Veterans Day community services and celebrations expand beyond the traditional November 11 events. Much of November can have special salutes to the U.S. military veterans.
Parades and services will be held in most communities Sunday, unless otherwise specified. Here is information in communities:
• The Aurora parade will step off at 10:15 a.m. at the corner of Benton Street and Broadway Avenue. A special service will follow at the GAR Hall on Downer Place at 11 a.m., sponsored by the Aurora city government Special Events Department.
• Marmion Academy in Aurora will hold its annual Veterans Day observance ceremony at 3:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 in the Alumni Hall gymnasium at 1000 Butterfield Road. The Marmion JROTC Cadet Corps will honor all veterans during the after-school formation and parade.
• The Montgomery Memorial VFW Post 7452 will conduct a ceremony at Riverside Cemetery, 121 N. River Street, at 11 a.m.. Directly following the ceremony all are welcome to the Post for free turtle soup, as well as meat raffles. Starting at 4 p.m. the lounge will have live music by Leroy Winn.
• West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York Street, Aurora, invites all veterans and community members to attend the Annual Veterans Day Assembly from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9.
• Batavia VFW will be host to a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at the VFW Hall upstairs, 645 S River Street.
• Fermilab’s Veterans Group will have its 12th annual luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the Big Room, Building 327, east of Batavia. Special guests will include keynote speaker Allen Lynch, Medal of Honor recipient; Rita Pennington, Quilts of Valor Foundation; and Elaine A. McCusker, deputy under secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Cost is $5 and will include catering from Chicago Pizza & Pasta in St. Charles, and the East Aurora (NJROTC) Color Guard.
• The village of North Aurora’s annual Veterans Day ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the North Aurora Veteran’s Memorial at the intersection of Fairview Drive and Willow Way, in North Aurora.
• The city of St. Charles’ annual Veterans Day Ceremony will be Saturday, Nov. 10 at 9 a.m. inside Fire Station No. 1, 112 N. Riverside Avenue.
• St. Charles North High School will hold its annual veterans celebration concert at 6:30 p.m. at the school, 255 Red Gate Road in St. Charles. Free tickets can be reserved at www.scnmusic.com/veterans.
• Waubonsee Community College will have a Veterans Day commemoration at the Academic and Professional Center (APC), 110 on the Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Monday, Nov. 12 at 11:15 a.m..
• Oswego American Legion Post 675 will hold its annual service at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial next to the Oswego Library in Oswego. Lunch will be served at the Post following the ceremony.
• There will be a Veterans Day observance in Naperville at 11 a.m. at Veterans Park 303 E. Gartner Road. There will be a dinner at 6 p.m. in the banquet room at Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, 908 W. Jackson Avenue.
• Plano American Legion Leon Burson Post 395 will have a Veterans Day celebration to start at 5 p.m. with dinner to be served at 6 p.m.. Reservations are required. Call the Post at 630-552-8313 after 1 p.m. this week.
• Prairie View Grade School, 10N630 Nesler Road in Elgin, will have a Veterans Day assembly from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, in the gym.
• Elgin city government will hold a Veterans Day celebration at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 274 N. Grove.
• There will be many speakers at Veteran’s Appreciation at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Chapel on the Green at the corner of Church and Center Streets in Yorkville.
• “Reflections Framed” Military Service celebration will start at 10:50 a.m. at the Visitors Center at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. There will be warm beverages.
• A Veterans Day ceremony with a color guard presentation and rifle salute at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 220 Civic Center Plaza, Glendale Heights.
• York High School Veterans Day breakfast will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10 at the York Community High School cafeteria, 355 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst. The breakfast will be free of charge for veterans and their friends/families.
• The village of Lombard will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12 at Veterans Memorial in the Lombard Commons Park, 498 E. St. Charles Road.
• VFW Post 8081, American Legion Post 589, and the city government of Warrenville will be hosts to a veterans memorial at the intersection of Stafford Place and Warren Avenue, at 11 a.m.. After the service there will be hot dogs and brats served at Post 8081, 3S371 Mignin Drive, Warrenville.
• Carol Stream American Legion Post 76 Veterans Day Ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10 in Adams Park at the corner of E. Seminary and E. Wesley in Wheaton.