Veterans Day may not be until Monday, but the celebration in Ardmore will begin this weekend.

On Saturday morning the Veterans Day Parade will take place on Main Street beginning at 10 a.m. The parade route will be from C Street to Depot Park, and the Main Street Authority will be handing out flags for participants to wave at the passing vets.

Following the parade, a brief ceremony will take place at Depot Park. Warren Blackmon will serve as emcee and several local officials will speaking briefly. The event will also include Rep. Tammy Townley who will be singing the National Anthem, and a member of the Southern Oklahoma Community Band will perform taps.

Following the ceremony in Depot Park, the Pecan Festival will begin.

On Monday morning, the annual Veterans Day service is set for the Ardmore Veterans Center. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. the Southern Oklahoma Community Band will be performing a selection of patriotic music. At 10:45 a.m., the Patriot Guard Riders will arrive, and the service will begin at 11 a.m.

This year, the featured speaker will be Retired CW4 Randy Growall who served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Growall will be pulling double duty, as he will also be speaking at a Veterans Day event at Dickson Schools earlier in the morning.

The event will also feature several students from Plainview High School. A student will be leading the Pledge of Allegiance, the choir will be performing the National Anthem, and several students will be reading a poem about veterans.