Bremerton's Armed Forces Day Parade set for May 18

BREMERTON — The 77th Armed Forces Day parade in downtown Bremerton — the largest and longest-running Armed Forces Day Parade west of the Mississippi — will in 2024 have an ever longer list of parade entries to entertain visitors and honor active duty military personnel on May 18.

This year's parade will mirror the route of 2023, stepping off at Sixth Street and Warren Avenue at 10 a.m. At least 134 entries will participate in the parade, which is more than last year's 112 entries, said Tiffany Diamond, the event coordinator of the Greater Kitsap Chamber, which organizes the parade.

About 30 to 35 sailors assigned to the Bremerton-based USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, their commanding officer, and the ship's color guard will march that morning. Other participants include Naval Hospital Bremerton, the Trident Training Facility, Bangor's color guard, elected officials, high school bands, as well as some military vehicles, motorcycles and miniature horses, Diamond said.

"It's a really lovely, cross-section of community and businesses and military," Diamond said.

The parade route goes east on Sixth Street to Park Avenue, where it turns south down to Fourth Street. Entries then head east up Fourth Street to Pacific Avenue, before turning north and heading along Pacific to the parade's end on Eight Street. The parade performance area is at the corner of Fourth and Pacific, in the heart of downtown Bremerton.

The annual pancake breakfast will again be held from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., prior to the parade, on Fourth Street between Pacific Avenue and Washington. Paradegoers can also join the Heroes BBQ from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for hot dogs at the parking lot of Kitsap Bank on Pacific Avenue.

Streets will be closed around the parade route Saturday morning, and others limited to traffic near downtown.

Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher will be the parade's Grand Marshal, Diamond said. Gaucher is Commander of the Naval Submarine Forces, Commander of Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Commander of Allied Submarine Command, according to the Navy.

After the parade, there will be a classic car show behind Kitsap Bank between Park Avenue and Pacific Avenue on Sixth Street. The Northwest Navy Band will perform outside the Roxy Theatre after the parade, Diamond said.

"This year, it's definitely going to be a good mix of all kinds of fun things," Diamond said.

On May 4, Olympic College kicked off the celebration for the Armed Forces Day in Bremerton by hosting the annual Armed Forces Day Culinary Arts Competition in the college.

Sailors from Naval Hospital Bremerton, Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Everett, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, USS Michigan (SSGN 727), USS Nevada (SSBN 733), USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735), USS Sampson (DDG 102), and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) showcased their culinary skills in categories such as desserts, wings, chili, ribs, and a Battling Chef Competition in the event, according to a statement from the Navy.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bremerton's Armed Forces Day Parade coming May 18 to downtown