Veterans Day NYC 2026: Parking, Schools, Trash Pickup & Parade Travel
Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. NYC DOT schedules an Alternate Side Parking (ASP) suspension, but Veterans Day is not a major legal parking holiday on its 2026 list, so meters and other posted rules remain in effect. NYC Public Schools are closed. DSNY recognizes Veterans Day as a sanitation holiday but asks residents to recheck the exact collection instructions near the date. A large Fifth Avenue parade adds a separate travel question: which streets and subway stations can you use on November 11?
Veterans Day 2026 is Wednesday, November 11.
NYC DOT lists Veterans Day on the 2026 ASP suspension calendar.
Veterans Day has no major-legal-holiday asterisk; metered and other posted restrictions still apply.
NYCPS lists Wednesday, November 11 as a 2026–27 school holiday.
Recognized sanitation holiday; the official page says holiday instructions can change.
NYC.gov gives an event window, not exact passage times at individual blocks.
Veterans Day parking: Alternate Side Parking is suspended
NYC DOT lists Wednesday, November 11, 2026 — Veterans Day — on its official Alternate Side Parking suspension calendar. That removes the street-cleaning move requirement for the day under the scheduled citywide ASP suspension.
An ASP suspension is not a free-parking or unrestricted-curb announcement. A No Standing Anytime sign, a commercial loading rule and other posted restrictions are separate from street-cleaning rules. Emergency and location-specific restrictions can also change the practical answer, especially around the parade.
For your parked car, check the actual street sign and the same-day NYC311 ASP status, rather than relying only on the annual calendar.
Parking meters still apply on Wednesday, November 11
NYC DOT marks major legal holidays with an asterisk in its 2026 ASP calendar. Veterans Day appears without one. The department states that on holidays without the major-holiday designation only street-cleaning rules are suspended; all other regulations remain in effect.
Because November 11 is a Wednesday, not a Sunday, do not assume city parking meters are free. Follow the meter hours and other posted rules where you park. Thanksgiving Day on November 26 is different: DOT marks it as a major legal holiday, with a broader suspension of meter regulations.
“ASP suspended” and “parking meters suspended” mean different things in NYC. November 11 has the first status, not the second.
NYC Public Schools are closed for Veterans Day
The published NYC Public Schools 2026–27 calendar identifies Wednesday, November 11 as Veterans Day and says schools are closed. Families should plan for a full school closure rather than the remote-instruction arrangement used on November 3.
This NYCPS calendar applies to the city’s public schools. Charter, private, parochial and other independent programs may have different operating schedules. Individual after-school activities, child care and community services should be checked with their providers.
Thursday, November 12 also has early dismissal for certain middle schools and District 75 programs because of parent-teacher conferences; check your school’s notice.
Is trash, recycling or compost collected on November 11?
Veterans Day is listed by DSNY and NYC311 as a recognized sanitation holiday in 2026. As of November 3, DSNY’s holiday page gives a specific service alert for Election Day on November 3, but it does not yet provide a separate confirmed Veterans Day collection and make-up schedule.
DSNY explicitly says holiday service is subject to change. The correct next action is to check its holiday page, the department’s current alert or NYC311 near November 11. Do not assume an automatic next-day pickup, or set out bags according to another holiday’s notice. Your regular schedule remains address-specific.
If Wednesday is your regular collection day, recheck DSNY and NYC311 on November 10–11 before moving trash, recycling or compost to the curb.
Why the 2026 Veterans Day Parade affects Midtown travel
The NYC Veterans Day Parade takes place Wednesday, November 11 along Fifth Avenue. NYC.gov lists a 12:30–4 p.m. event window; ABC7 has reported a 12:30 p.m. step-off near Fifth Avenue and 26th Street. Neither time tells you when the procession will pass a particular block.
NYC DOT identifies Fifth Avenue between 25th and 48th Streets as the 2026 parade corridor for its special construction-work embargo, with additional staging and dispersal streets. That November 8–11 work embargo is not itself a four-day full traffic closure. Parade-day vehicle restrictions, bus diversions and pedestrian crossings require a separate same-day check.
Travel by subway where practical, keep your destination and later reservations on the same side of Fifth Avenue where possible, and allow extra walking time.
What to check the evening before and on Veterans Day
- Parking: scheduled ASP suspension applies November 11, but posted meters and other curb regulations still apply
- Schools: NYC Public Schools closed November 11; other school systems may differ
- Sanitation: check DSNY’s final November 11 collection instructions instead of assuming a make-up day
- Parade: verify the organizer’s latest route, viewing and broadcast information
- Travel: check NYC event street closures, MTA subway service and bus detours close to departure
- Driving: allow for Midtown Fifth Avenue restrictions; an embargo map is not the same as confirmed road closures
For last-minute citywide status, use NYC311. For the parade itself, use the current United War Veterans Council and NYC DOT notices.