Veterans Day 2011 events

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) - The following is a list of events taking place in Hampton Roads in honor of Veterans Day.

HAMPTON

• Thomas Nelson Community College will hold a Veterans Day observance on November 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the Hampton campus. The names of over 6,000 veterans will also be read at 9 a.m. At 2 p.m. the college will observe a moment of silence.

NEWPORT NEWS

• On November 11, a ceremony will take place at the Victory Arch, located at 25th Street and West Avenue in downtown Newport News, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The annual ceremony is sponsored by American Legion, Braxton-Perkins Post #25.
• The Virginia War Museum is offering $1 off posted admission prices on Veterans Day.

NORFOLK

• The Premier Gallery of Ghent will be raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project with a raffle, art auction, refreshments, and eight new artists on display. The event will take place November 11 from 6 to 10 p.m. The gallery is located at 259 Granby Street, Suite 250, on the second floor above Subway.
• Nauticus is offering free admission to all military and dependents on Veterans Day. A new photographic exhibit, 'A Note To Our Troops,' will be opening.

PORTSMOUTH

• On November 14, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and Lightship will honor our vets from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Visitors to the museum can write a letter to a veteran and learn more about Veterans Day.

VIRGINIA BEACH

• The 2011 Tidewater Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony will begin with a parade at 9 a.m. on November 11. The parade will begin at 16th Street and Atlantic Avenue and end at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial at 19th Street. After the parade a ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the memorial, featuring a wreath laying and flyover.
• On November 11, the commencement ceremony for a nationally certified Veterans' Hospice program, new to the Hampton Roads area, will be held at Beth Shalom Village , located on 6401 Auburn Drive. The Veteran pinning ceremony honoring all resident Beth Shalom Veterans who served the country will be held at 1 p.m. Special guest, Congressman Scott Rigell is scheduled to attend this ceremony.
• A 24-hour prayer rally will take place at the Prayerhouse Holiness Church , located at 1814 Indian River Road from midnight Friday, November 11 to midnight Saturday, November 12.

WILLIAMSBURG

• The first annual James River Jam will be held November 11, at Busch Gardens' Royal Palace Theatre. Gates open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. The charity jam session will benefit organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children and young adults. Event organizers chose the Veterans Day holiday in honor of the local military personnel living and working in the region. A portion of the concert tickets will be given to local military bases for complimentary admission to the James River Jam.
• From Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 13 of Veterans Day weekend, Colonial Williamsburg will offer free weekend-long admission tickets to active-duty military, reservists, retirees, veterans, and their immediate dependants.

YORKTOWN

• All National Park Service sites, including Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield , will offer free admission for all visitors November 11-13 over the Veterans Day weekend. Special programs during the fee-free period include:
  - On Saturday, November 12, Daniel Abbott, a Nanticoke descendent from Virginia's Eastern Shore will provide demonstrations and discussions of toolmaking, domestic skills, and native flora and fauna as part of American Indian Heritage Month. The program will be held at the Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, special tours on Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. will present a short history of the Powhatan Indians, from just before the arrival of the English in 1607 to the present day.
  - Sunday, November 13, will highlight the role of artillery at Yorktown Battlefield . Demonstrations by Lamb's Artillery and the British Royal Artillery will help visitors appreciate the differences between field and siege artillery and how the Americans and French had an advantage over British weaponry during the siege of Yorktown in 1781. The demonstrations will take place near Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center at 11:45 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m., and 2:45 p.m.