WASHINGTON
Thousands gather each summer at Marine Barracks Washington for the Friday Evening Parade, a 75-minute display of Marine Corps precision and tradition that has become one of the capital's most popular free events.
The ceremony features the Marine Band, the Marine Drum Bugle Corps, and the Silent Drill Platoon performing on the parade deck at the corner of 8th and I Streets SE. Gates open at 7 p.m. with the full show beginning at 8:45 p.m. Admission is free with a reservation.
The barracks, established in 1801, is the Marine Corps' oldest continually active station. President Thomas Jefferson and Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows selected the location for its proximity to the Washington Navy Yard and its marching distance to the Capitol.
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the post handled administration, training, and presidential support. In 1911, recruit training moved away, allowing the garrison to focus on ceremonial functions.
In 1934, Major Lemuel Shepherd organized the first weekly summer parade based on the Landing Party Manual used for amphibious operations. But the shift to an evening performance came after Marines observed a joint show with the Corps of Royal Marines at the Bermuda Searchlight Tattoo in 1956, where performing under spotlights at night created a more theatrical effect.
The first official Evening Parade took place on July 5, 1957. The previous afternoon parades became known as the Sunset Parade.
Early feedback noted the absence of artillery salutes. Commanders addressed this by procuring guns from the Norfolk Navy Yard, and by 1958, a permanent cannon battery had been installed on the parade deck for 21-gun salutes honoring visiting dignitaries.
The parade's popularity surged in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy became the first sitting president to attend.
