The leadership and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be remembered with a parade and closing ceremony. The events are organized by the Mesa Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and City of Mesa Diversity Office. They will be held Monday, Jan. 15, which is Martin Luther King (MLK) Day.
The MLK Parade will be held from 11 a.m. to noon. The parade will begin at the intersection of Center Street and MLK Way, travel south on Center Street and end at the intersection of Pepper and Center Street. The parade will include Mesa Councilmembers, Mesa Police Department, Mesa Fire and Medical Department, marching bands and community leaders and organizations.
This year's grand marshal is John Goodie who has been a member of the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee for more than 20 years.
The following streets are scheduled to be closed for the parade from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:
Center Street - University to Main Street
MLK Jr. Way - Drew Street to Centennial Way
2nd Street - Centennial Hall Parking Lot to Drew Street
1st Street - Centennial Way to Macdonald
Pepper Place - Centennial Way to Macdonald
All streets should reopen by 2 p.m. Traffic can detour around the parade route by using Main Street, Mesa Drive, Country Club Drive and University Drive.
This year's celebration is using the theme "Dream Big with S.T.E.A.M. & Change the World."
Following the parade, join Mayor John Giles for a closing ceremony from noon to 1 p.m. at the Mesa Arts Center's outdoor Alliance Pavilion Stage. This free program will include music by Cyiza Music Ministry and a spoken word tribute by Tomas Stanton from Phonetic Spit.
The City of Mesa will be closed Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of MLK Day. The closure includes libraries and the Webster and Jefferson recreation centers. The Red Mountain Multi-Generational Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Dobson Ranch Golf Course and Mesa Tennis Center will be open. The Kino Aquatic Center and Skyline Aquatic Center will be open for lap swimming. Trash and recycle service will be on the normal collection schedule but residents should have barrels on the curb by 6 a.m. All bus and light rail routes will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Mesa's annual MLK celebrations were created after residents, in 1996, voted to establish a citywide holiday recognizing the leadership of Dr. King. For more information on the various MLK celebrations, visit www.mesamlk.org.
Public Information and Communications
Contact: Kevin Christopher
Tel. 480-644-4699
kevin.christopher@mesaaz.gov