Fast approaching, Veterans Day will be celebrated on Monday, Nov. 11 and will include a full slate of activities in Escalon.

There will be a parade, special ceremonies and the popular annual chicken/ribs barbecue at the Community Center.

Local American Legion Gustafson-Thompson Post member Vince Giovaniello said the current schedule has the parade starting at 10:30 a.m., taking off from Coley Avenue and following the traditional downtown parade route along First Street to Main.

Following the parade, attendees are invited to adjourn to the Veterans Memorial Wall adjacent to the city’s Community Center on Escalon Avenue, with a memorial service there planned about 11:15 a.m.

The ceremony will then be followed by a barbecue lunch, served from noon to 3 p.m.

Tickets will be available at the door. Cost is $15 for adults, children 12 and under, $6.

All in the community are encouraged to attend; the parade and memorial service are designed to commemorate the service and sacrifice of all military veterans.

“Our Grand Marshal this year will be George Tavares, long time member of the Escalon community and a 10 year member of our Post,” Giovaniello explained. “George was instrumental in our Post renovation, not only in organization and supervision, but also in time and labor throughout the project. He is also responsible for organizing our monthly cookouts that we started in April of this year.”

The monthly cookouts are currently on hiatus but will resume in early 2020, after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.