Downtown Homestead will be ground zero for school bands, soldiers and veterans, who will march Wednesday in this year's 48th annual Veterans' Day Parade.

Thousands of people are expected to come and watch the parade which honors military veterans. It starts at noon.

After a year of controversy over the Confederate battle flag, the Homestead City Council unanimously approved a permit on Thursday for the event, sponsored by the Arrant-Smith Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4127.

The VFW came forward last month to host the event after the Military Affairs Committee of the Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce canceled the event, citing time constraints.

``I think it's very honorable for your group to take up this parade,'' Mayor Steve Bateman told Bill Thibault and Louis Melara, who have been organizing the parade for the VFW.

Participants will march along Flagler Avenue to Krome Avenue then head north to Eighth Street and east to Flagler.

Groups will line up starting at 11 a.m.

Dozens of organizations have signed up to march, including the American Legion Post 43, the U.S. Military Veterans Motorcycle Club, the South Florida Trail Riders, the Marching Pirates from the Robert Morgan Educational Center, the Junior ROTC from Felix Varela Senior High School and the Civil Air Patrol from Miami Southridge Senior High School.

Units from the Homestead Air Reserve Base and the Special Operations Command South will also participate, Thibault said.

But VFW did not invite the Sons of Confederate Veterans or the Miami-Dade branch of the NAACP to march.

Both had been feuding for the past year about whether the rebel flag would be flown at the parade.

Only the American flag, the Florida state flag and military flags will be allowed, Melara said.

Police Chief Al Rolle told the city council there would be 26 police officers on hand to deal with any problems.

This year, the parade's grand marshals are Brig. Gen. William Binger, commander of the 482nd Fighter Wing, and Brig. Gen. Hector Pagan, who commands the Special Operations Command South. They will be riding in a 1970 Cadillac convertible.

The emcee will be Jim Pierce, who organized the Veterans' Day Parade for years on behalf of the chamber's Military Affairs Committee.

There will be no candy throwing at the parade. Melara and Thibault said volunteers will clean up after the event.

For more information about the parade, e-mail williamthibault@keyes.com.

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