The leadership and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be remembered with a parade and festival. The events are organized by the Mesa Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, Zen Nights Inc. and City of Mesa Diversity Office. They will be held Monday, Jan. 21, which is Martin Luther King (MLK) Day.
The East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The parade will begin at the intersection of Center Street and MLK Way and will travel south on Center Street to First Street, then travel west on First Street and conclude at Robson. The parade will include Mesa Councilmembers, Mesa Police Department, Mesa Fire and Medical Department, marching bands and community leaders and local organizations. The grand marshal will be the Mesa MLK Committee and its past members.
Following the parade, there will be a festival hosted by Zen Nights Inc. with music, art and love celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The festival will be located on Macdonald, just north of Main Street from 12 p.m.to 4 p.m. This Zen Nights block party, which typically occurs the last Friday of the month in Mesa, is a plant-based family friendly gathering that will be free to the public.
The following streets are scheduled to be closed for the parade:
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Center St- University to 1st St.
MLK Jr. Way- Centennial Way to Drew St
2nd St- Centennial Hall Parking Lot to Drew St
2nd St- Robson to Morris
Robson-1st St to 2nd St
1st St- Centennial Way to Morris
Macdonald- 1st to Main (closed until 7 p.m.)
Pepper Place- Center to Macdonald
Most streets should reopen by 2 p.m. Macdonald, which will be closed between 1st Street and Main Street for the festival, will reopen by 7 p.m. Traffic can detour around the parade route by using Main Street, Mesa Drive, Country Club Drive and University Drive.
The City of Mesa will be closed Monday, Jan. 21 in observance of MLK Day. The closure includes libraries and the Webster and Jefferson recreation centers. Arizona Museum of Natural History will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with half price admission. The Red Mountain Multi-Generational Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Dobson Ranch Golf Course and all City tennis courts 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. Light rail, bus and circulator bus service will operate on their regular schedules. The Express and RAPID bus service will not operate.
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 MLK celebrations, visit www.mesaaz.gov/mlkparade.
Public Information and Communications
Contact: Kevin Christopher
Tel. 480-644-4699
kevin.christopher@mesaaz.gov