Mesa and its residents pay tribute to the leadership and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day of remembrance on Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, Monday, Jan.15 will begin with the Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in downtown Mesa followed by a community festival from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plaza at Mesa City Center, 56 E. Main St. This year's celebration theme is "Transforming Communities: Building Bridges Together" and honors Dr. King's legacy by emphasizing unity, equality and community transformation.
Presented by Amazon, Arizona's only MLK Parade starts at the Center Street and MLK Way intersection, travels south on Center Street to First Street, then east on First Street to Hibbert where it will end. The parade includes marching bands, faith-based and other local organizations, community leaders, elected officials and several City of Mesa departments to make it a truly festive and inclusive community event. The grand marshal will be a group of Mesa youth, program managers and officials representing Mesa's selection as an All-America City in 2023.
Following the parade, the Mesa-East Valley MLK Festival is from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at The Plaza at Mesa City Center, 56 E. Main Street. The community festival features food, vendors, live music and other entertainment, interactive line dancing and a Kids Unity Corner with activities and crafts.
Two of our downtown museums will offer half-price admission on MLK Day. The Arizona Museum of Natural History will open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the i.d.e.a. Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Residents around the parade route or those joining in on the festivities should plan for the following street closures:
6 a.m. to 2 p.m.:
First Street - Center Street to Mesa Drive
Centennial Way - Pepper Place to First Street
Pasadena - at First Street
Hibbert - Pepper Place to First Street
Hibbert - Second Street to Third Place
Wilbur - at First Street
Pomeroy - Pepper Place to First Street
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Center Street - University Drive to Pepper Place
Third Place - Center Street to Drew Street
MLK Way - Center Street to Centennial Way
Second Street - at Center Street
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pepper Place - Center Street to Centennial Way (Plaza for MLK Festival)
The parade route will reopen to all traffic by 2 p.m. Adjacent streets to the parade route will reopen as traffic control is removed. Traffic can detour around the parade route by using Main Street, Mesa Drive, Country Club Drive and University Drive. The festival area along Pepper Place between Center Street and Centennial Way will reopen by 7 p.m.
Bus and light rail service will operate on a weekday schedule. In support of the Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, the Downtown Buzz and Route 112 will not serve the stop at Main Street and Centennial Way. The Downtown Buzz will not serve Center Street between Pepper Place and University Drive from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 15. More information is available at valleymetro.org.
All of the MLK events are hosted and presented by the City of Mesa and the Mesa-East Valley MLK Committee and features the sponsorship of Visit Mesa and Amazon.
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 the Mesa-East Valley MLK website.