The Central Valley has decided to hold their annual Veterans Day Parade virtually on Nov. 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parade will start at 11 a.m. on channel KSEE 24, KSEE 24 Facebook page and the Fresno Veterans Day Parade Facebook page.

Fresno has held their parade every year since 1919, making Wednesday’s event the 101th Veterans Day parade in the Valley. 

This year’s parade will have more tributes, interviews and will provide viewers with more information and history about Veterans Day, according to Virginia Cardinal, Coordinator of Operations. 

Many organizations were involved in the planning and production of this year’s virtual parade. 

It usually takes one year to prepare for the next parade.

However, this year it took six weeks to prepare the pre-production of the parade because filming took place in different locations, according to Cardinal. 

The parade was filmed in different locations across the Central Valley, including Squaw Valley, Fresno Federal Post 509, Fresno Veterans Center, and the Fresno Veterans Hospital.

Different monuments presenting the history of California will be shown as well. 

“Usually when people hear the word California, they think of Hollywood or San Francisco but that is not the Central Valley,” said Cardinal citing the importance of these Central Valley landmarks and monuments. 

Despite the change, the Central Valley Veterans Parade is still officially the largest parade in the United States, according to Cardinal. 

The virtual parade will be about 2 hours and 20 minutes long, according to GVWire. 

In addition, the Central Valley is making history by being the only Veterans Day Parade that has not been canceled.

U.S Rep. Jim Costa and Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld will be some of the guest speakers in the parade on Wednesday. 

During FCC’s virtual Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 6, Jaime Duran, Director of FCC’s Veterans Resource Center said FCC will be marching in the Central Valley Veterans Day Parade.

Duran will be attending the parade, accompanied by other staff members from the VRC, Vice President of Student Services Dr. Lataria Hall, Dean of Students Monica Cuevas, Fire Academy Director Peter Cacossa and FCC’s mascot Sam the Ram.