In the years after the landing, date has been marked annually as the Day of the Cuban Armed Forces[4] The largest parade to be held took place in 1986 in the presence of General Humberto Ortega from Nicaragua as well as officials from the Soviet Union.

[6] The annual parade in 2016 celebrating the diamond jubilee was postponed for 1 month due to the Death and state funeral of Fidel Castro, and took place on January 2, 2017.

With the veterans of the Revolution, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the international deployments of the Armed Forces during the Cold War, active personnel of the armed forces and their families, the diplomatic corps, citizens of Havana and pro-Cuba solidarity groups in the stands, as guest of honor, he arrives at 7:55 am for the parade proper at the José Martí Memorial's general saluting base, where he is received by the members of the Council of Ministers and the Council of State, the leadership and deputies from the National Assembly of People's Power, and Party officials.

In the parade of 2017, the yacht contingent was followed by youth reenactors in three columns wearing uniforms of the guerilla combatants of the revolutionary period, carrying weapons used during those years.

This is followed by the Bay of Pigs invasion segment, which begins with middle and high school level Pioneers escorting a T-34 medium tank and a SU-100 self-propelled gun, followed by a 2nd youth contingent wearing uniforms and weaponry used, followed by the living veterans of the Cuban forces deployed during that period.

Then comes two civil contingents, one honoring the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign final march to Havana's city center by thousands of participating youths and teachers, and a children's theater trope.