At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, the Hilliard Veterans Day parade stepped off from Gate 4 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. It headed up Northwest Parkway, passed through Old Hilliard on Main Street and finished at Veterans Memorial Park. The Hilliard Beacon's preview listed who was marching. The Hilliard Darby High School marching band was there, along with Cub Scouts Pack 789, the Hilliard Division of Police Honor Guard, the Norwich Township Fire Department, the Hilliard Ohio Historical Society, Crooked Can Brewing Co. and Sexton Pizza.
That was the last one. This year the City of Hilliard is replacing the parade with its first Veterans Day Luncheon. It starts at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Alton Hall at The Well, 3993 Cosgray Road.
The Well opened in September 2025, and this November it is hosting the City's Veterans Day observance along with several other dates on the calendar.
Weather had been canceling the parade for years
The parade dates back to 1984. That year the 12th District of the American Legion accepted an invitation from then-Mayor Roger Reynolds to hold it in Hilliard. The route ended at Veterans Memorial Park inside Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park, which carries the name of the mayor who brought the parade to town.
Organizers have adjusted the date before. Here is how the parade's recent years went:
- Through 2018: It was held on Nov. 11, whatever day of the week that turned out to be.
- 2019: Canceled for bad weather.
- 2020: Not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Moved to the Sunday afternoon before Nov. 11. The goals were daylight weekend attendance and road closures that caused less disruption.
- Nov. 10, 2024: Canceled ahead of expected bad weather.
- Nov. 2, 2025: Held on its Sunday date, the last year in the parade format.
Bad weather canceled two of the last six scheduled parades, and the pandemic stopped a third. The Sunday move solved the darkness problem and the road-closure problem, but it also took the event off Veterans Day itself. The City's announcement says the new format addresses both issues:
"The new event provides an opportunity to honor veterans on Veterans Day itself while also moving the celebration indoors. Winter weather has presented challenges for veterans participating in past parades."
Moving indoors brings the observance back to Nov. 11, the date it kept for its first three decades.
What the Nov. 11 luncheon includes
The same two veterans posts that organized the parade are running the luncheon with the City. They are the American Legion's William R. Schnug Memorial Post 614 and the CPT Nicholas J. Rozanski Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4931. Local businesses are providing lunch in Alton Hall. A ceremony with four speakers follows:
- Master Sgt. Sean Clifton, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and Purple Heart recipient
- Al Burzynski, a veterans advocate who volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster relief organization
- Amber Hudson, executive director of M.A.S.H. Pantry
- Maj. Gen. Deborah Ashenhurst, U.S. Army, retired, a Hilliard resident and former director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, who served more than 37 years in the Army and Ohio National Guard
The event is free, and the City has invited the whole community. The Hilliard Herald also lists a second meal at the same address two days later. The Hilliard Social Center Veterans Day Luncheon is at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Veterans and their spouses eat free, and registration is due by the day before.
That puts two Veterans Day gatherings in one building in the same week.
The Well is only a year into this
The Well, the City's recreation and wellness facility, opened on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. The building includes an indoor aquatic center, two gyms, fitness floors, a walking and jogging track, studios and child-watch. Alton Hall is its named event space, and the City has already used it for member mixers.
Veterans Day is not the only November event booked there:
- Walk with a Doc at The Well meets at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. It combines a walk with a short talk on a current health topic. With an indoor track, the walk doesn't depend on the weather.
- A Tuesday evening boxing course runs Oct. 27 through Dec. 8, with no class on Nov. 24, according to the City's fall program guide.
The Well was already open when last year's parade stepped off on Nov. 2, 2025. This is the first November its event space is hosting the City's Veterans Day observance, and other dates on the calendar are booked there too.
The rest of November also moves indoors
Most of Hilliard's other events this month are inside too, at school buildings, a library branch and storefronts. Here is the calendar from Saturday, Nov. 7, through the end of the month:
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Bradley Bazaar holiday craft fair | Hilliard Bradley High School, 2800 Walker Road | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $5 admission |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day Luncheon | Alton Hall, The Well, 3993 Cosgray Road | 11:30 a.m., free |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Hilliard Social Center Veterans Day Luncheon | 3993 Cosgray Road | 11 a.m., veterans and spouses free, register by Nov. 12 |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Pink Friday | Downtown Hilliard | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., shop-small day, deals to be announced |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Christmas Corner craft show | Check the listing | Opens 9 a.m., 65 vendors of handmade goods |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Walk with a Doc | The Well | 9 a.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Hilliard Davidson Jazz Ensemble Family Concert | Hilliard Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library | 3 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Wilson's Family Karaoke | See listing | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mon., Nov. 30 | Iced Coffee Trail ends | Eight local coffee shops | Turn in cards at New Grounds Coffee House |
Destination Hilliard bills Pink Friday as a shop-small day on the Friday before Thanksgiving, and its event page says details on deals are still coming. The Christmas Corner listing gives a second day on Saturday, Nov. 21, also opening at 9 a.m. Check it for the venue before you go.
The coffee trail's last month
The Hilliard Iced Coffee Trail started May 1 and ends Nov. 30. Participants collect a free iced-coffee stamp at each stop. A completed card goes to New Grounds Coffee House as an entry for gift-card bundles. The eight stops are:
- Finjani Cafe
- Coffee Connections on Main
- Alchemy
- Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
- Watan Cafe & Roastery
- Otie's Tavern
- Teas Your Spirits
- New Grounds Coffee House
Coffee Connections has an unusual setup this year. The Hilliard Herald reported in August that owners Nate and Sharon Grenier had reopened as a pop-up on a mobile coffee cart at 4066 Main St. A few doors away, Laura Young's Bakes by Lo opened its standalone bakery at 4045 Main St. on Sept. 12. Old Hilliard stops on the trail can easily include a stop there.
December goes back outside
In early December, the calendar moves back onto Main Street, into Weaver Park and out to the Historical Village:
- Hollyfest Arts & Crafts Show, the Chamber's 43rd annual show, runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Hilliard Davidson High School, 5100 Davidson Road. A shuttle runs from Center Street Market.
- The City's free Tree Lighting runs 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in Downtown Hilliard and Weaver Park. A trolley connects Station Park, Main Street and the Historical Village.
- Holly Hop: Sip, Shop & Stroll brings more than 50 vendors to Main Street from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. One Chamber calendar summary lists a different date, so confirm with the organizer before you go.
- Santa at the Village at the Hilliard Historical Village, 4100 Columbia St., runs 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, with free admission, a wagon ride and crafts.
Farther out, the Herald reported on Oct. 22 that Culver's is aiming for the last week of December to open at 3610 Fishinger Blvd.
If you're planning a move around Hilliard's calendar, Hart Property Advisors can help you plan the timing so the move fits your household's schedule. Start with a free home valuation, and we'll lay out the steps.
