KINGMAN, Ariz. — A Veterans Day parade may last only an hour, but the gratitude behind it represents generations of courage, sacrifice and service.
The Kingman Area Veterans Association is seeking local businesses, organizations and community members to sponsor the 2026 Kingman Veterans Day Parade, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. The parade will travel along Beale Street in downtown Kingman between Fifth and First streets.
This year’s theme, “Celebrating 250 Years of Our Country,” recognizes America’s 250th anniversary while honoring the men and women whose military service has helped preserve the nation’s freedom throughout its history.
For KAVA, the parade is about far more than flags, floats and marching down Beale Street. It is about ensuring that veterans throughout the Kingman area know they are remembered, respected and still deeply valued by the community they call home.
Founded in 2023 by U.S. Army veteran Maggie Stanley, the Kingman Area Veterans Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans in the Kingman community. That mission is reflected in every event KAVA organizes and every relationship it builds.
“This parade is not about KAVA, it is about every veteran who raised their hand and promised to defend our country,” KAVA President Maggie Stanley said. “When our community comes together to sponsor, participate, volunteer or simply stand along the parade route, it sends a powerful message to our veterans: You are seen, your sacrifice matters and Kingman has not forgotten you.”
At the heart of KAVA is a simple but powerful belief: Those who were willing to serve our country should never feel forgotten after their service has ended.
Veterans come from different generations, military branches and walks of life. Some carry visible reminders of their service, while others live with sacrifices few people will ever see. The Veterans Day Parade gives Kingman an opportunity to come together and tell each of them, “We see you. We remember what you gave. We are grateful you are here.”
Making that moment possible requires the support of the entire community.
Sponsorship contributions help KAVA meet the operational needs associated with organizing and presenting the parade. Every contribution, regardless of its size, helps create an event worthy of the veterans it is intended to honor.
For local businesses and organizations, sponsorship is also an opportunity to demonstrate that supporting veterans is more than a slogan. It is a chance to stand beside the individuals and families who have sacrificed for the freedoms enjoyed by every American.
A sponsor’s name may appear in connection with the parade, but the true value of that support is found in the veteran standing along the route who realizes that an entire community has shown up for them.
That is the heart of KAVA.
It is veterans serving veterans. It is volunteers giving their time. It is families teaching younger generations the meaning of service. It is businesses investing in something larger than themselves. It is Kingman coming together to make certain that gratitude is not merely spoken, but demonstrated.
KAVA welcomes sponsorships from businesses, churches, civic organizations, veteran groups, families and individuals. Sponsors may contribute online through the official KAVA parade sponsorship page.
KAVA is also inviting veterans and community members who wish to be part of the parade to register. Those interested can visit the KAVA Current Events page and select “Veteran’s Day Parade Registration.” The online form allows participants to register their parade entry and provide the necessary information to organizers.
Veterans who would like their military biography included as part of the parade recognition are encouraged to submit it with their registration. All pre registrations and veteran biographies must be received by Nov. 7, 2026.
Anyone who needs assistance registering or has questions about entering the parade may call or text KAVA at 928-715-6625 or email Kavapresident2023@gmail.com.
Additional information about sponsorships, volunteering and the work of the Kingman Area Veterans Association is available at www.kavaaz.com.
On Nov. 14, the streets of downtown Kingman will fill with flags, families and the unmistakable spirit of a grateful community. Behind every step of the parade will be the generosity of those who sponsored it, the dedication of those who participated and the appreciation of everyone who came to honor Kingman’s veterans.
KAVA is asking the community to help carry that mission forward, not simply by sponsoring or entering a parade, but by standing together for the veterans who once stood for all of us.
