Jacksonville's Veterans Tribute Weekend Opens Where Freedom Way Starts

In a city that sends Marines and Sailors out to deploy, Veterans Day weekend opens at 9:30 tomorrow morning, Friday, Nov. 6, at a fountain at the corner of Johnson Boulevard and New Bridge Street. Representatives from each municipality in Onslow County will step up to the pool and add a few drops of water.

It's a short ceremony, and it's easy to drive past the site on a normal weekday. The Freedom Fountain Observance opens the busiest stretch of Veterans Tribute NC, the citywide observance that runs Nov. 1 through Nov. 11, 2026. The fountain's location also explains how the rest of the tribute is laid out.

The Fountain at the Head of the Road

The City of Jacksonville calls the Freedom Fountain the start of the route many Marines and Sailors take from the bases here to Morehead City for deployment. That route is known as Freedom Way. The Daily News has described Freedom Way as the name for the roads between Jacksonville and the State Port at Morehead City.

The fountain there now was dedicated in 2012 and was built mostly with public funds. It replaced an earlier fountain that marked the start of Freedom Way. Medallions for the five branches of service were added to the brick arches behind the pool on June 4, 2014.

Each part of the fountain stands for something. The Daily News reported the design this way:

• The center jet, the largest feature, is dedicated to freedom.
• Three fountainheads around it stand for local, state and federal government.
• Fifty bubblers on the rim stand for the 50 states and the service members from those states who have passed through Jacksonville.
• The edgeless pool stands for the ongoing work of those in uniform to defend the country.

Seen that way, the water ceremony fits the fountain. Each town adds a little water to a pool that stands for ongoing service. The Onslow Civic Affairs Committee hosts the observance, and Visit Jacksonville lists the address as 895 New Bridge Street.

Col. Adele Hodges, a former commander of Camp Lejeune, gave the Freedom Address at the 2016 observance. The Daily News reported what she said about the fountain and the city around it:

"The changes I see here in Jacksonville are more than physical. I see the changes in the cooperation between the base and this community and the fountain is a testament to that."

How the Rest of the Tribute Follows

After Friday morning at the fountain, the tribute moves across town over the next six days. The order is the same each year: honor service, then gather the community. This is the schedule from Visit Jacksonville and the City of Jacksonville:

The Eastern North Carolina Marine Basketball Men's Varsity program hosts the basketball tournament. Proceeds go to an Onslow and Jacksonville charity.

Friday Night at Jacksonville Commons

About eight hours after the fountain ceremony, the tribute moves to Jacksonville Commons for Red, White & Salute. In its Oct. 20 announcement, Visit Jacksonville set the hours at 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, and listed the event as free. The City's calendar puts it at the Jacksonville Commons Festival Grounds, 100 Recreation Lane.

The music comes from Red NOT Chili Peppers, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band formed in 2009 that has played across the U.S. and in Dubai, Brazil, Mexico and Japan. They're on stage from 7 to 9 p.m., and fireworks follow. Here's what else is on the grounds:

• Axe throwing with Beary the Hatchet
• Mechanical bull riding
• Food trucks
• Craft vendors
• A beer garden with Salty Turtle Beer Company and Shortway Brewing

If you're planning around the band, the music starts an hour after the event does. That gives you time to eat and walk the vendor tents before the concert and fireworks.

Saturday on Western Boulevard

The Veterans Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in front of Coastal Carolina Community College. It heads down Western Boulevard, and the City lists it as running until 11:30 a.m. Rolling Thunder Inc. Chapter NC-5 hosts it. The City calls the parade free, open to the public and a good outing for the whole family.

The Onslow Veterans Pow Wow starts the same day and continues Sunday. Visit Jacksonville describes it as a two-day gathering of tribes from across the country, with Native dance, music, drumming, food and competition, all held in honor of veterans. If you haven't been before, the tourism office suggests catching a Grand Entry and taking a tipi tour.

The Stop That's New This Year

During the tribute, Visit Jacksonville points people to Lejeune Memorial Gardens at 109 Montford Landing Road. The Veterans Walk of Honor runs through the gardens, with signs honoring individual veterans. QR codes along the paths link to information on the Montford Point Marine Memorial, the Beirut Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the largest 3-D Eagle, Globe and Anchor statue.

New this year is the building next door. The Carolina Museum of the Marine held its ribbon-cutting on June 5, 2026, and opened to the public June 8. That makes this its first Veterans Tribute, and Visit Jacksonville lists it in this year's program as a new addition.

Plenty of people have already been. The Daily News reported more than 1,000 paid visitors on opening day. The museum's July newsletter put the first month above 4,500.

Here's what the museum lists in its galleries and on its grounds:

1. The Great Hall introduces the Marine Corps story.
2. They Came from the Sea features an LVT.
3. The Marine Corps & the Community includes the Uniform Continuum.
4. Innovation & Evolution covers Korea through modern conflicts.
5. Patriot Park, outside, has a monumental Eagle, Globe and Anchor sculpture and an Eternal Flame.

The museum also has an interactive aviation exhibit. In its opening coverage, WNCT reported that the museum highlights the Montford Point Marines, those lost in the Beirut Barracks bombing and the first women Marines. The gardens next door have memorials to the Montford Point Marines and to Beirut.

Planning a museum visit during the tribute

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last tickets are sold at 4:30 p.m. It's closed on Mondays, so it won't be open on Monday, Nov. 9, in the middle of tribute week. Parking is free.

A family with one active-duty parent, one veteran parent and two kids between 4 and 15 would pay $26 for the four of them. Groups of 10 or more that book ahead pay $12 a person.

If you're staying a while, the Carolina MAGTF Café is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's presented by the Minges Family and run by Milk Road, and the menu includes espresso drinks, pour-over coffee, hot chocolate, teas, smoothies and light breakfast and lunch.

Green Bulbs Through Nov. 11

Jacksonville is taking part in Operation Green Light again during the tribute. The city encourages residents and businesses to shine a green light so veterans know they are seen and appreciated. The City is handing out free green bulbs at tribute events, and you can also pick them up at City Hall.

The tribute ends on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., with the Disabled American Veterans observance at 300 Sherwood Road. The museum is open that day, so you could pair the two.

I served in the Marines, so this week in Jacksonville means a lot to me, and I'm always happy to talk with military and veteran families about life here. Whether you're settling in after a PCS move or have lived near Freedom Way for years, take a look at our military relocation resources or the Jacksonville area guide. When you're ready, Cristina Sullivan is here to help. Let's Connect.