Every third Saturday in May, downtown Bremerton turns out, by the thousands, for a parade that’s been honoring the U.S. Armed Forces longer than any other in the country.
This is the Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade. And whether you’ve never been or you come every year, the 2026 edition is one weekend worth planning around.
Bremerton’s Armed Forces Day Parade dates to 1948 — the year the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce organized a hometown procession to honor John “Bud” Hawk, a local soldier who had received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II.
The next year, Armed Forces Day became a national holiday. Bremerton’s parade kept going and has been running every year since (excepting one COVID-era postponement). It’s now organized by the Greater Kitsap Chamber and is the longest-running Armed Forces Day parade in the United States.
Courtesy of the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center
This makes sense when you spend any time in Bremerton. The city sits next to Naval Base Kitsap and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Generations of service members have called Bremerton home. The parade is the city’s annual thank-you, and it draws crowds of 20,000+ from across Western Washington and every year, entries come in from as far as Oregon and Spokane.
The 2026 parade marks the 78th annual celebration. Title sponsor Kitsap Credit Union has supported the event for years, alongside Puget Sound Energy as the host of the Heroes’ Barbecue.
The Bremerton Central Lions Club has been serving this breakfast for decades. Plan to be in line by 8:00 a.m. if you want to make it to the parade kickoff with a full stomach (and bring cash for your meal).
The parade runs through downtown Bremerton along Pacific Avenue. Expect military marching units, color guards, classic vehicles, school bands, civic groups, and floats from across Western Washington. The full lineup runs about two hours.
Held in the Kitsap Bank parking lot at 6th & Pacific, the Heroes’ Barbecue (presented by Puget Sound Energy) provides a free hot dog, chips, and soda to all active-duty, reserve, retired, and veteran service personnel. Bring your military ID.
(full schedule in the above image)
The parade route runs through downtown Bremerton, with the best concentrated viewing along Pacific Avenue between 4th and 6th Streets. A few tips:
Bremerton is one of the easiest Kitsap cities to reach — and you don’t need a car for the parade weekend.
Walk on the Seattle–Bremerton ferry and you’ll arrive at the downtown Bremerton terminal — a five-minute walk from the parade route. Round-trip walk-on fare is among the best deals in PNW travel.
The 12-minute Bremerton–Port Orchard foot ferry runs frequently and gives you an alternative if you’d like to stay across the harbor. It’s also one of the most underrated experiences in Kitsap.
From Tacoma and South Sound, Highway 16 drops you into Bremerton in about 50 minutes. Parking downtown fills up fast on parade day — plan to use lots a few blocks off the route, or park near the ferry terminal and walk in.
More on getting here: visitkitsap.com/get-here
Photo by Brittany Kelley Photography
Arrive Friday and walk the Bremerton Boardwalk along Sinclair Inlet. Grab dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants downtown. Stop by the USS Turner Joy, the decommissioned Vietnam-era destroyer permanently moored at the Bremerton waterfront and book a self-guided tour. It’s open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays year-round.
Pancake breakfast → parade → Heroes’ Barbecue → afternoon at the Puget Sound Navy Museum (also downtown, also walkable, also free). End the day with dinner on the boardwalk and the ferry-light reflections off Sinclair Inlet.
Take the foot ferry to Port Orchard for breakfast, browse the Bay Street antique shops, and ride back. It’s one of the best ways to experience two Kitsap towns in one morning.
Armed Forces Day Weekend is a peak booking weekend in Bremerton. Browse all places to stay on the Kitsap Peninsula: visitkitsap.com/stay-here
Looking for a quieter morning? The Bremerton waterfront before the parade — when the city is just waking up and the ferries are coming in across Sinclair Inlet — is one of the most underrated views in Puget Sound.
Bremerton has been thanking the Armed Forces every May for 78 years. Whether you have a personal connection to the military or just want to be part of something this city does better than anywhere else — this weekend is the one.
More Bremerton: explore the Bremerton destination page, read more history & culture features, or check the full Kitsap events calendar.