Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday, and you’ll find plenty of events planned throughout Atlanta to honor the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Many people choose to volunteer in their communities on what’s become a day of service, while others attend parades, participate in walks or runs, or commemorate Dr. King in other ways.
The following are a few of the many MLK Day events planned in metro Atlanta:
Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service
10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Ebenezer Baptist Church, New Horizon Sanctuary, 101 Jackson St. NE, Atlanta. 404-526-8900.
Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, will serve as keynote speaker at The King Center’s Beloved Community Commemorative Service.
6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. $100 and up. Hyatt Regency Atlanta Centennial Ballroom, 265 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-526-8900.
Join The King Center’s Beloved Community Awards celebration hosted by Essence Atkins and Dule Hill as part of the Center’s MLK holiday events. Honorees include Michael J. Fox, Deloris Jordan and Spelman College. Musical performers include Ronald Isley featuring The Isley Brothers.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Free with reservations highly encouraged. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta.
The Atlanta History Center will commemorate Dr. King’s legacy by exploring the church’s historical significance as a cornerstone of the Atlanta community. Guests will be able to participate in civil rights-themed trivia, crafts, kids activities, panel discussions and more.
MLK Family Day of Service at Kirkwood Urban Forest
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve, 125 Dearborn St. SE, Atlanta.
The Friends of the Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve will join volunteers to work on the needs of the Preserve’s newly acquired two acres. Young kids can help pick up sticks and branches and create a bird/non-mammal habitat.
9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. John Howell Park, 797 Virginia Ave. NE, Atlanta.
Front Runners Atlanta will pay homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a run from John Howell Park to Ebenezer Baptist Church. Participants can lay flowers in remembrance and return to John Howell Park for a coffee and bagel.
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Activities for Children
Timed entries 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 14 and 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. $17.95. Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW, Atlanta. 404-659-5437.
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta will offer activities including walking through a timeline of Dr. King’s life, listening to a staged reading of his “I Have a Dream” speech and building a bridge like Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge where Dr. King led a historic march.
Cobb County NAACP MLK Day Celebration
10 a.m.-noon Monday, Jan. 15. Free admission and parking. Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 770-425-5757.
The Cobb County Branch of the NAACP hosts this annual celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring musicians, singers and dancers and more. The annual Living the Dream award will be presented to a community member who demonstrates Dr. King’s ideals.
Acworth MLK Celebration and Day of Service
8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Roberts School Community and Education Center, 4681 School St., Acworth. 770-917-1234.
The celebration starts with a light welcome breakfast that’s followed by a Unity Walk, a program honoring Dr. King’s legacy and work on a community service project.
8 a.m.-noon Monday, Jan. 15. $35 in advance, $40 on race day. First Baptist Church of Doraville, 5935 New Peachtree Road, Doraville.
This run is designed to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with fellowship and fitness. The fast and flat course is entirely on New Peachtree Road and is a qualifier for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Music starts at 8 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m. with a 3.1-mile drumline all along the race course.
Brookhaven MLK Day Dinner and Celebration
5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. $10. Lynwood Recreation Center, 3360 Osborne Road, Brookhaven. 404-637-0542.
Brookhaven’s eighth annual MLK Day Dinner and Celebration will be held at Lynwood Recreation Center, the former site of a segregated school where students integrated into the DeKalb School System in 1968. The event is a tribute to these Lynwood trailblazers and includes dinner, giveaways, live performances and guest speakers.
NAACP DeKalb Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Starts at Chapel Hill Middle School, 3535 Dogwood Farm Road, Decatur. 404-241-8006.
The DeKalb County Branch of the NAACP will host a parade starting at Chapel Hill Middle School and ending at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
MLK Day Celebration at the New Black Wall Street Market
1 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. New Black Wall Street Market, 8109 Mall Parkway, Stonecrest. 770-559-9610.
This event offers live entertainment, historical tours, fun activities, an art exhibition, food, and goodies for the first 100 attendees and first 100 children.
Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk
1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. 922 Main St., Stone Mountain.
The Stone Mountain Action Coalition’s celebration features an announcement of art contest winners along with a Peace Walk and presentations.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art & Film Celebration
1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Free admission and parking. Studio Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs. 770-730-5600.
This family-friendly event features interactive art projects, storytime and a showing of the Emmy Award-nominated film “Our Friend, Martin.”
St. James Alpharetta MLK Community Service and Unity Walk
9:30 a.m. gathering, 10 a.m. service, Unity Walk after service. Monday, Jan. 15. St. James Alpharetta, 3000 Webb Bridge Road, Alpharetta. 678-762-1543.
St. James Alpharetta will host the annual Martin Luther King Community Service followed by the Unity Walk from the church to the Alpharetta City Center.
Lawrenceville MLK Celebration Parade
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Starts at Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Dr., Lawrenceville.
The United Ebony Society will host the annual MLK Celebration Parade that starts at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center and ends at Central Gwinnett High School.
About the Author
