Veteran's Day Free Meals and 2024 Events in San Luis Obispo County
Posted by SanLuisObispoMom.com on Monday, October 21, 2019 Under: Veterans
I'm a veteran's wife so every year for the last 12 years, I go on a list hunt ahead of time to find free things for my special veteran on Veteran's Day. This year, Veteran's Day is Mon., November 11, 2024. Keep scrolling to see the list.
Major chains are usually very consistent with offering free meals for veterans and active military on Veteran's Day. Keep scrolling to see the list that I've compiled for San Luis Obispo County and nearby.
Please be ready to show proof of military service or veteran's status when requested by any of these companies for your freebies. *If there is a (To be confirmed) note next to the freebie listed below, it just means that I haven't seen the company's actual website publish their freebie announcement for 2024 but it is usually an ongoing annual offer that they do and sometimes their corporate or marketing team might be last minute about posting them.
Major chains are usually very consistent with offering free meals for veterans and active military on Veteran's Day. Keep scrolling to see the list that I've compiled for San Luis Obispo County and nearby.
Please be ready to show proof of military service or veteran's status when requested by any of these companies for your freebies. *If there is a (To be confirmed) note next to the freebie listed below, it just means that I haven't seen the company's actual website publish their freebie announcement for 2024 but it is usually an ongoing annual offer that they do and sometimes their corporate or marketing team might be last minute about posting them.
- Free haircut at all Great Clips places for veterans on Veteran's Day. They do this every year and my husband has been able to taken advantage of it most of the time. If the veteran comes in that day and can't wait too long to get a haircut that very day, they will hand the veteran a free haircut card to use. The one located in Arroyo Grande closed down so you'll have to go to the Great Clips in Atascadero or drive to the next county over for the Santa Maria location.
- Participating Sports Clips is offering a free haircut to veterans on Veteran's Day.
- All State Parks in California, including Oceano Dunes SVRA will offer free admission on Veteran's Day to veterans who were not dishonorably discharged. Proof is required.
- Sunset North Car Wash in Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo had reached out to me a couple of years ago telling me that they were offering Veterans and Active Duty Military personnel a free car wash (offer was good at all locations, rain or shine and it is for Original Hand Wash only) on Veteran's Day. For 2024, they're offering it this year again!
- Discounted tickets to a veteran and up to 5 guests at Knott's Berry Farm for particular days. Now that we are here on the Central Coast, we can drive a few hours south to Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County. Spouses and children are not eligible to purchase these discount tickets without the military member present. The dates to get the military rate for tickets is between Nov 4 - 21, 2024 for Monday - Thursday visits only. They are $25 each.
- Free red, white & blueberry pancakes to veterans and active duty at IHOP on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, 2024 at all participating IHOPs around the nation between 7AM - 7PM. Dine in only.
- Free first 6oz of yogurt at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt for veterans on Veteran's Day. There is a Menchie's location in Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County.
- Free HOT-N-READY lunch combo at Little Caesar's between 11AM - 2PM to veterans on Veteran's Day. Must mention offer and proof of service when ordered at the check out counter. They usually don't announce it until a couple days before online. (To be confirmed)
- Free 10 boneless wings and fries for veteran's on Veteran's Day at Buffalo Wild Wings. They usually don't post it on their website ahead of time but will publish a PR announcement or post on facebook a couple of days before or on the day of Veteran's Day. (To be confirmed)
- Free In-N-Out complimentary meal for veterans on Veteran's Day. They usually don't announce this until the very day. (To be confirmed)
- Free meal to veterans and active military on Veteran's Day at Applebee's. They usually require you to show proof. Sometimes it's from a special list so do tell them upon order that you are a veteran or active military and they will let you know what's the freebie offer. The closest Applebee's is in Santa Maria, in the next county over.
- Free meal at Golden Corral from 5PM - closing for veterans. The closest Golden Corral to SLO is in Santa Maria, California (in the next county over). Golden Corral locations usually have their free meal offers on the Monday closest to Veteran's Day so it is not always on the actual Veteran's Day. Since Veteran's Day happen to be on a Monday for 2024, they are going to offer the free "thank you" meal for veterans on the actual Veteran's Day on November 11, 2024.
- Free meal to veterans at Olive Garden from a selected menu on Veteran's Day. Let them know that you have a veteran with you and they will present a special menu that the veteran can pick from.
- All veterans and active duty get a free meal from Chili's from a selected menu on Veteran's Day. There's a list of 4 to choose from: https://www.chilis.com/restaurant-events/veterans-day.
- All veterans and active duty get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam at Denny's on Veteran's Day. Offer is only valid from 5AM - noon for dine in.
- All veterans get a free tall coffee at Starbucks on Veteran's Day. They always offer this freebie every year for Veteran's Day, but don't announce it until a couple of days before.
- Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut and free small coffee to veterans on Veteran's Day. The closest Krispy Kreme to us is in Santa Maria, in the next county over.
- Gilroy Gardens (about 3 hours drive away from SLO going North) is giving free admission to any active duty and military veteran for Veteran's Day weekend on November 9, 10 and 11 for 2024. Discounted tickets for the veteran's family can also be purchased for up to 6 guests. You can only get these free and discounted tickets at the gate and not online.
- Aquarium of the Pacific (about 3 hours drive away from SLO going South) is offering limited free tickets to veterans and active-duty military on Veteran's Day from 9AM - 6PM. You cannot get these tickets at the gate as it requires Advance Reservation on the Aquarium of the Pacific's website.
- Knott's Berry Farm (about 3.5 hours drive away from SLO going South) is offering Military Tribute Days between Nov 4 - 21, 2024 where veterans can buy tickets for themselves and up to 5 guests for $25 each, so they are not offering a free ticket, but the discounts are great. You can get the tickets at the Knott's Berry ticket booth or online on their special link.
Veteran's Day Celebration and Events around SLO County for 2024:
- Monday, November 11, 2024 - Veterans Day Community Celebration at Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum from 10AM - 3PM. Free event. Address: 801 Grand Ave., Suite 102, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Monday, November 11, 2024 - Veterans Day Celebration at Pismo Beach Pier at 11AM. This is an annual event that takes place right on the pier. Address for GPS: 100 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach, CA 93449
- Monday, November 11, 2024 - Veteran's Day Ceremony at Faces of Freedom Memorial in Atascadero at 11AM. Address: 8024 Portola Rd, Atascadero, CA 93422
As more events are announced, they will be added to this page.
If you're a veteran in San Luis Obispo county, you can take advantage of a lot of cool (sometimes, even free) events that the County of San Luis Obispo put together. They help you with benefits and services that you are eligible for too. You can visit the Veterans Service website that is run by the county and they also do an amazing job of posting upcoming events on their Veterans Services of San Luis Obispo county facebook page.
If you're a veteran in San Luis Obispo county, you can take advantage of a lot of cool (sometimes, even free) events that the County of San Luis Obispo put together. They help you with benefits and services that you are eligible for too. You can visit the Veterans Service website that is run by the county and they also do an amazing job of posting upcoming events on their Veterans Services of San Luis Obispo county facebook page.
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In : Veterans
Tags: discounts and free things for veterans in san luis obispo veteran's day in san luis obispo
Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues. In between work and momming it, I like to exercise.
@sanluisobispomom