Gwinnett County's Veterans Day ceremony starts at 11 AM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in Lawrenceville, and it's free and rain or shine. The catch for families: GCPS has school that day. Here are the options around the school day, and the free picks for this weekend.

Gwinnett County Government's Veterans Day Ceremony begins at 11 AM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the back of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center parking lot, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. The county says the ceremony and the Gwinnett County Stand Down that surrounds it, from 10 AM to 1:30 PM, are free, open to all ages and held rain or shine, according to its October 28, 2026 announcement.

Veterans Day is not a day off for Gwinnett County Public Schools students. Wednesday, November 11, 2026, is a regular school day on the district's 2026 to 2027 student calendar, which marks Election Day, November 3, as a Digital Learning Day, when students learn from home, and November 23 to 27 as Thanksgiving Break.

Every event below was checked on the organizer's official page on October 29, 2026. Times are Eastern.

What happens at the Gwinnett County Veterans Day Ceremony?

The ceremony opens with a Veterans March, and the county invites every veteran in attendance to march and be honored. Gwinnett County officials will speak, an honor guard will perform, and the keynote speaker is Dr. Daniel Kaufman, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general.

Kaufman is a local name. The county notes he was founding president of Georgia Gwinnett College and later led the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. He served in Vietnam, where he received two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, and was dean of the academic board at West Point.

If a grandparent or neighbor in your family served, the march is the part to bring them for. It's the opening of the program, so arrive before 11 AM.

What will kids see at the Fallen Heroes Memorial?

The memorial honors about 700 Gwinnett residents who died in the line of duty in military or public safety service, according to the county's Fallen Heroes Memorial page. Their names are carved in random order, without rank, on 13 black granite markers that stand nine feet tall and weigh almost four tons each. The central pedestal holds a bronze eagle carrying a rose, sculpted by a Gwinnett firefighter.

Buford residents Ron and Carolyn Buice, who lost three friends in Vietnam, came up with the idea and formed a nonprofit to build it. It was built in 2003 with private donations and Gwinnett County money.

The county's memorial tour page walks through each marker, from Native Americans of Gwinnett County and the Revolution through the Korean and Vietnam wars, active duty military, law enforcement, emergency services and county employees killed in the line of duty. Reading it with older kids before you go gives the names some context. The county's ceremonies page explains that Veterans Day began with the armistice that ended major World War I hostilities at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and it encourages visits to the memorial throughout the year, so a weekend stop works if Wednesday doesn't.

Gwinnett is a Purple Heart County, and the county flies the Purple Heart flag at the memorial, according to its Veteran and Family Services page.

What is the Gwinnett County Stand Down?

The Stand Down is a resource fair for veterans and their families, running from 10 AM to 1:30 PM next to the ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial. The county says veterans and families can "connect with resources and services available to support their needs." It's free, and all are invited.

The county asks people to register in advance on Eventbrite so it knows who's coming. The ceremony itself doesn't list a registration step.

Where do I park, and what if it rains?

Both events move inside the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center if the weather turns. The building's front entrance is under construction, and visitors have been using a temporary entrance on the east side since Monday, October 26, 2026, the county's site says.

For an indoor move, the county recommends the parking deck at the corner of Constitution Boulevard and Nash Street. Level P4 connects directly to the building and has accessible parking spaces. The county's main number is 770 822 8000.

Can my kids go if it's a school day?

That's a family call. The county ceremony at 11 AM lands in the middle of the GCPS school day. GCPS has not posted Veterans Day guidance, so ask your school how it would code an absence or early checkout before you plan one.

One listing is set for late afternoon, which may work around your child's dismissal time. Snellville Tourism and Trade lists a Veterans Celebration from 3 PM to 4 PM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, on its event page. The listing says "Stay tuned for more information!" and, as of October 29, 2026, gave no location, so email kelly@experiencesnellville.com for updates before you go.

For preschoolers, homeschooled kids and grandparents who are free that morning, the City of Peachtree Corners holds its Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 AM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the Town Green, 5140 Town Center Boulevard. City Hall's number is 678 691 1200.

The City of Norcross holds its Veterans Day Ceremony from 10 AM to 10:30 AM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at Veterans Park, with speeches, patriotic music and the raising of the American flag.

What free things can Gwinnett kids do this weekend, November 7 and 8, 2026?

The biggest free pick is the City of Lawrenceville's Red Clay Ramble, 2 PM to 10 PM Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Slow Pour Brewing and the Depot District. The city's event listing says "Cost: FREE." Also free on Saturday, November 7: the Atlanta International Night Market runs 2 PM to 10 PM at Lillian Webb Park, 5 College Street Northwest, Norcross, with free admission, according to its organizer's page. Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation's free Norcross Games, with tug of war, sack races and relays for all ages, runs 10 AM to 1 PM at the Gwinnett Community Resource Center at Georgia Belle Court, and its Kidpreneur: Nature Trek kids' market runs 1 PM to 4 PM at the Lilburn Activity Building with free admission, according to the county's fall 2026 program guide.

Where can a veteran in the family get help after November 11?

The Stand Down is one day. All year, Gwinnett County's Veteran and Family Services works with the Disabled American Veterans Gwinnett Chapter 90, whose navigators help veterans and their families complete VA benefit forms, file VA claims and connect with local resources, the county page says.

The navigators work at the Gwinnett Senior Services Center, 567 Swanson Drive, Lawrenceville, open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 770 822 8850.

If a veteran in your life is in crisis, the county lists the Veterans Crisis Line: call 988 and select 1, or text 838255.