Stand at the Memorial Water Wall on November 11
At 11 a.m. on November 11, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, the crowd inside the United Club at Soldier Field goes quiet. The Colors are presented by students from Farragut Career Academy High School. A wreath is laid at the Soldier Field Memorial Water Wall in honor of fallen service members. Then the ceremony continues with remarks from Governor J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and other civic and military leaders, a musical tribute of patriotic selections, and a moment of silence before the community salute to veterans, active-duty service members and their families.
This is the city's annual Veterans Day commemoration, and it is free and open to the public. Veterans and their families are especially invited. Doors open at 10 a.m., and you should plan to be through security and seated by 10:30 a.m. Enter at Gate 0 of Soldier Field, 1410 South Special Olympics Drive. Dress is business attire or service dress uniform. If you drive, commuter parking is complimentary at the Waldron Deck parking structure.
- Arrive by 10:30 a.m. for screening and seating ahead of the 11 a.m. start.
- Enter at Gate 0; media live trucks stage on the east side at Gate 16.
- Expect the wreath-laying at the Memorial Water Wall to be the emotional center of the morning.
Hear a Chicago Story Behind the Podium
The keynote at the 2025 ceremony was Brigadier General Jorge M. Fonseca, Director of the Joint Staff of the Illinois National Guard. His biography is a Chicago story: born in Guadalajara, Mexico, raised in Little Village, an alumnus of Farragut High School and Lyons Township High School, enlisted in 1991 and commissioned in 1996, with a BS in Medical Technology from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Gold Medal of the Polish Army.
Whom the city invites to speak in 2026 is not something the sources state, but the shape of the program is consistent: civic leaders, military leadership, and a community salute. The 2025 ceremony also marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a reminder that the date carries a different weight each year.
Know Who Puts It On
The commemoration is organized under the City of Chicago. The Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) serves Chicago's roughly 65,000 veterans, plus their family members and additional service members stationed in the city, and is supported by the Advisory Council on Veteran Affairs (ACVA), a 21-member council under the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) produces the city's festivals, markets, events and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, in Millennium Park and across the 77 neighborhoods. If you want to build a longer visit around the ceremony, DCASE's listings at Chicago.gov/DCASE are where the city's own programming is published.
When to Go and How to Plan the Day
Veterans Day falls on November 11 each year, and the city's ceremony is held that morning. The 2025 commemoration was held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025; the sources do not give a 2026 date or venue, so confirm the current year's details through the City of Chicago and DCASE before you travel. What you can rely on is the format: a late-morning ceremony, free admission, security screening, and a request for business attire or service dress uniform.
- Build your day around the 11 a.m. start and the 10:30 a.m. seating deadline.
- Check Chicago.gov/DCASE and the City of Chicago's Veterans Day pages for the current year's ceremony details before booking travel.
- If you are a veteran or a family member, you are the guest of honor, not a spectator.
Make a Weekend of the City Around It
Pair the ceremony with the institutions DCASE programs year-round: the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park are the anchors of the city's free cultural calendar, and DCASE's work reaches into all 77 neighborhoods. November in Chicago is a month for indoor rooms, civic occasions and long walks between them, and the Veterans Day commemoration gives you a fixed point to plan around.
Start with the date. Mark November 11, watch for the city's current-year announcement, and plan your arrival at Gate 0 with time to spare. The rest of Chicago will be waiting when the ceremony ends.