Parade Participant Information

All Parade Participants must review the following information prior to participating in the 2025 New York City Veterans Day Parade.

Please note that your organization's representative must complete the Parade Confirmation Forms and Waivers on behalf of your group; this representative has consented to these documents on your behalf.

The content of these documents is referenced below; if you have any issues with any of these forms, please discuss and resolve them with your organization's representative directly.

Statement of Purpose

The 2025 New York City Veterans Day Parade (the Parade) is a non-political, non-partisan event. Its sole purpose is to recognize the service and sacrifice of America's military veterans, its military service members, and their families, and to raise awareness of their needs and issues.

The United War Veterans Council (UWVC), producer of the Parade, understands that our veterans community reflects the mosaic of our great nation, representing a wide array of viewpoints and opinions.

The UWVC fully supports the rights of individuals and groups to express these views, and encourages them to do so at other times and locations. However, in order to protect the inclusive, non-political purpose of the Parade, the UWVC respectfully requires participating groups to refrain from using the Parade itself as a platform to promote any other political agenda.

As the legally recognized organizing entity responsible for the Parade, the UWVC has the sole right (affirmed by prior U.S. Supreme Court rulings) to determine the content and purpose of the Parade and to prohibit or exclude messages or activities that conflict with this purpose.

Code of Conduct

The Parade's CODE OF CONDUCT is intended to help the Parade achieve its stated purpose, and to ensure a safe, secure and positive experience for Parade participants.

ALL PARADE PARTICIPANTS MUST AGREE TO:

•Behave courteously towards each other, Parade guests, Parade staff, NYPD personnel and other supporting agencies, and to conduct themselves with dignity and respect
•Refrain from language or behavior which could reasonably be perceived as threatening, abusive, insulting, or lewd.
•Follow the instructions of Parade staff and NYPD personnel, from assembly to dispersal
•Adhere to all NY City and NY State laws and regulations while in the Parade Area, including the Assembly Streets, Parade Route and Dispersal Area.
•Not obstruct or impede the flow of the Parade in any way.
•Refrain from throwing any items into the crowd along the Parade Route (certain items may be handed out, with prior permission of Parade organizers).
•Refrain from carrying or consuming alcoholic beverages or controlled substances at any place on the Parade route or in the Assembly Area, or from arriving at the Parade under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.
•Refrain from using the Parade as a platform to promote any other political agenda; including using slogans, displaying signage or distributing literature supporting or opposing any specific governmental policy, political party or candidate, or elected official. Exceptions may be made for general messages supporting legislation/efforts to protect or expand benefits for our veterans or military service members; however, these must be broad statements of support, and cannot target any particular elected official or political party.

Additional Requirements

In addition, in order to ensure the smooth running of the Parade, groups must adhere to the following requirements with regards to their composition and layout:

•75% or more of the members of a marching contingent must be veterans, military, or immediate family members of veterans/military. Exceptions are made for JROTC, Cub Scouts and Youth Bands; other exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Groups wishing to request an exception to this policy should contact: application@uwvc.org.
•Groups marching in formation must organize themselves in rows of no less than four (4) across. NO SINGLE OR DOUBLE FILE FORMATIONS. Groups marching more informally should stay as close together as possible, and avoid getting strung out in a longer line. All groups must obey the instructions of Parade staff with regards to formation.

Agreement

In the event that any member of a Group fails to abide by these policies, the authorized representative of the Group will be required to take corrective action. In the event that multiple members of a Group fail to abide by these policies, or if the authorized representative of the Group fails to take appropriate corrective action, the entire Group may be dismissed from the Parade, and placed on probation for future Parades. Repeated or egregious violation of these policies (as determined by the Parade organizers) may result in permanent disqualification from the Parade.

Liability Waiver

Your group representative has signed/must sign the following liability waiver on your behalf:

Members of each organization who are marching with that group in the parade must be physically able to walk the distance of the parade route (approx 1.1 miles). Members of any group requiring transportation or assistance must be transported in a vehicle provided by that group.

In consideration of being permitted to participate in the 2025 New York City Veterans Day Parade, all participants must, waive, release and discharge the United War Veterans Council, Inc., the UWVC Foundation, The City of New York, Bard Entertainment, WABC and its parent companies and subsidiaries, and any and all parade vendors, contractors or sponsors, from any and all losses, costs, claims, damages, suits, actions, demands, liability, and expenses in connection with loss of life, personal injury and/or property damage of any kind, arising out of or in the course of their participation in the event.

Photo/Video Waiver

Your group representative has signed/must sign the following photo/video waiver on your behalf:

The 2025 New York City Veterans Day Parade and/or portions of it, will be filmed, videotaped, photographed, and recorded, and all participants release their individual biographies, likenesses and voice, in the form of audio/visual recordings, for use by the United War Veterans Council, Inc. and the UWVC Foundation and their assignees in connection with the promotion, live presentation and archival use of the Parade, on any and all media, including (but not limited to) print, radio, television, and Internet), provided that any such use will be solely for purposes of presenting and promoting the Parade and/or non-profit, non-partisan activities honoring and serving our nation's veterans and military.

REMINDER:Your organization's representative is completing the required Confirmation Forms and Waivers on behalf of your group; he/she has consented to the above-referenced documents on your behalf. If you have any issues with any of these forms, please discuss and resolve them with your organization's representative directly.