The ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C. starts at 8:45 p.m., beginning with a concert by the United States Marine Band. The Evening Parade, held every Friday evening during the summer, has become a universal symbol of the professionalism, discipline, and Esprit de Corps of the United States Marines. The story of the ceremony reflects the story of Marines throughout the world. Whether they be aboard ships, in foreign embassies, at recruit depots, in divisions, or in the many positions and places where Marines project their image, the individual Marine continually tells the story of the Corps.
Parade Reservations
Reservations are required for guaranteed access to attend the Evening Parade. Parade reservations must be requested online by accessing the Parade reservations page. Please be prepared to provide a valid email account and telephone number when making the online reservation.
The request should include the name of the party (either group or individual); the number of guests in the party; a return email address; and a point of contact with a telephone number. An alternate parade date should be included in the request in case the first date requested is unavailable. If a date is not available on the drop down menu it means that parade is at max capacity and no longer open to the public.
Confirmation emails will be sent to the point of contact listed in the online request. Please note that due to the high volume of requests it could take up to four business days for Marine Barracks Washington to complete reservation requests. Marine Barracks Washington does not accept reservations via telephone, fax, or regular mail; reservation confirmations will not be sent via regular mail, or fax.
Gates open at 7 p.m. and close at 8 p.m. for guests with confirmed reservations. Guests with confirmed reservations will lose their guaranteed seats if they arrive after 8 p.m. At approximately 8:15 p.m., guests without reservations in the General Admission line are offered unclaimed seats (if available). General Admission line guests are not guaranteed seats.
Note: Groups with 11 or more guests, are required to fill out the group reservation form on the parade reservations website and send it to Marine Barracks Washington Protocol using the instructions on the site. Please note that groups are limited to 200 guests.
Visit the Evening Parade website for more information.
