MesaNow
City of Mesa News
City of Mesa News
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. 19 will begin with the annual 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, located at 56 E. Main St. This year's celebration theme is "Mission Possible: Building Bridges, Building Community" emphasizing the Mesa-East Valley MLK Celebration Committee's belief that Dr. King's vision of the Beloved Community is an achievable reality that requires collective action.
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 the local Sun Valley Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., an organization established in 1938 which aims to improve the quality of life of children, particularly African-American children.
Following the parade, the Mesa-East Valley MLK Festival features food, vendors, music, line dancing trivia, raffle prizes and a Kids Unity Corner with activities and crafts. Vitalant will be having a blood drive at the festival. There will also be a brief awards presentation at 1 p.m. honoring nine individuals and one business for their work and commitment in the community.
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 (no thru traffic will be able to cross First Street)
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. The Downtown Buzz will not serve Center Street between Main Street and University Drive from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 19. Please download the Valley Metro app to stay up to date with detours, pay your fare, plan your trip and see real-time arrival data: valleymetro.org/how-to-ride/online-tools/app or visit valleymetro.org/rider-alerts for details.
All of the MLK events are hosted and presented by the Mesa-East Valley MLK Committee in partnership with the City of Mesa. The MLK Parade and Festival is sponsored by Banner Health, Kona Ice, Semper Fi Heating-Cooling-Plumbing, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Tempe Alumnae Chapter, Sport Clips, Just Serve, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Celerion, Dental Depot, OPINEX Group and Cox Communications.
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.