Salute to Veterans

Published on November 06, 2025

The City of Eustis will hold its Salute to Veterans event on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Ferran Park. The free event will honor our nation's veterans with a full day of activities including the Phantom Airborne Brigade paratroopers, the Grand Parade, the Ceremony of Honor and our new Wreaths of Honor program.

The event kicks off at 8 a.m. with the return of the Phantom Airborne Brigade paratroopers, who will conduct a Veterans Day Tribute Jump into Lake Eustis to honor veterans and active-duty service members. This year’s program includes historic firsts: the brigade’s first all-female plane, its first female Jump Master and its oldest participant, a 91-year-old veteran.

The Salute to Veterans continues with the 2‑Mile Dash at 8:30 a.m., starting at the Eustis Police Department, 51 E Norton Ave. The race, hosted by Eustis Parks and Recreation, invites participants to run in honor of a veteran while supporting the department’s scholarship fund. Early registration is $20 per person and $25 per person on the day of the race. Visit https://www.eustis.org/Residents/Events/Salute-to-Veterans-2-Mile-Dash-2025 for more information. 

We are also pleased to announce an inspiring addition to this year’s event, our inaugural Wreaths of Honor program. Join us at the City of Eustis tent in Ferran Park from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to decorate a wreath to lay on the marked grave of any veteran who is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, located at 220 Haselton St. in Eustis. If you would like to honor a veteran in a local private cemetery, we invite you to decorate and place a wreath at their honored resting place.  

The annual Grand Parade will begin at 2 p.m. traveling north to south on Eustis St. from Gottsche Ave. to Woodward St., led by our honored Parade Marshal Marine E-4 Corporal Donald A. Youngmann. The parade will be followed by the Ceremony of Honor at 3 p.m. on the Alice McClelland Bandshell stage in Ferran Park.  

Ferran Park will also be filled with a variety of food and craft vendors from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

2025 Salute to Veterans Schedule

8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Phantom Airborne Brigade Jumps

8:30 a.m. – 2-Mile Dash, hosted by the City of Eustis Parks and Recreation Department

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wreaths of Honor

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Florida Military Vehicle Heritage Group Display

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Food and Craft Vendors

2 p.m. – Grand Parade

3 p.m. – Ceremony of Honor