Denver’s annual MLK Day Marade honors the civil rights leader Monday
Denver will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday with one of the United States’ largest celebrations of the holiday and the only one of its kind in the nation.
The Martin Luther King Marade, a march and parade, is an annual event held in Denver to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s legacy, the City of Denver said on their website.
The event has grown to be one of the largest MLK Jr. Day celebrations in the United States, according to the city. It is even larger than the celebration in Washington, D.C.
The free event, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission, starts in City Park at the MLK statue at 9:30 a.m.
The Laying of the Wreath will happen at 10:30 a.m., and the Marade to downtown down East Colfax Avenue begins at 10:45 a.m. From noon to 1 p.m., there will be entertainment, awards and celebration at Civic Center.
“The purpose of the Statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission is to unify and educate communities within the state of Colorado and encourage appropriate observations, ceremonies and activities in commemoration of the federal holiday,” the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission said on their website.
This year’s keynote speaker is Clint Bryant, a respected and long-serving leader in intercollegiate athletics.
On April 4, 1985, Colorado Governor Dick Lamm signed legislation into law making Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day a Colorado holiday.
The Marade is one of several events happening throughout the Denver metro area in celebration of MLK Day:
Sunday
- Community celebration: 4 p.m. at Boulder Jewish Community Center 6007 Oreg Ave. Community celebrations including performances, youth activities and cultural expressions.
Monday
- Historical Bike Ride Tour: 2:05 p.m. in Civic Center park, Denver. The 5-mile bike tour stops by historic Black landmarks that tell the stories of those who fought for justice, equality and equity. There will be hot drinks and free bicycle checks.
- Dr. King Jr. and the Radical Roots at the Heart of Justice: 2 to 3 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Motus Theater will host a free, arts-based, family-friendly event exploring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s understanding of poverty and racism.
- MLK Day Discussion with John Burl Smith and Helanius J. Wilkins: 4 to 6 p.m. at RedLine Contemporary Art Center 2350 Arapahoe St. Denver. A free community event joining Smith and Wilkins in “Mile 18: One Year Later…A Conversation on the Labor and Love of Belonging.”
- Sanitas Brewing MLK Trivia Night: 7 to 9 p.m. at Sanitas Brewing, 3550 Frontier Ave., Boulder. Trivia to honor the achievements of MLK.
Denver’s annual MLK Day Marade honors the civil rights leader Monday
Denver will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday with one of the United States’ largest celebrations of the holiday and the only one of its kind in the nation.
The Martin Luther King Marade, a march and parade, is an annual event held in Denver to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s legacy, the City of Denver said on their website.
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The event has grown to be one of the largest MLK Jr. Day celebrations in the United States, according to the city. It is even larger than the celebration in Washington, D.C.
The free event, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission, starts in City Park at the MLK statue at 9:30 a.m.
The Laying of the Wreath will happen at 10:30 a.m., and the Marade to downtown down East Colfax Avenue begins at 10:45 a.m. From noon to 1 p.m., there will be entertainment, awards and celebration at Civic Center.
“The purpose of the Statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission is to unify and educate communities within the state of Colorado and encourage appropriate observations, ceremonies and activities in commemoration of the federal holiday,” the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission said on their website.
This year’s keynote speaker is Clint Bryant, a respected and long-serving leader in intercollegiate athletics.
On April 4, 1985, Colorado Governor Dick Lamm signed legislation into law making Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day a Colorado holiday.
The Marade is one of several events happening throughout the Denver metro area in celebration of MLK Day:
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Sunday
- Community celebration: 4 p.m. at Boulder Jewish Community Center 6007 Oreg Ave. Community celebrations including performances, youth activities and cultural expressions.
Monday
- Historical Bike Ride Tour: 2:05 p.m. in Civic Center park, Denver. The 5-mile bike tour stops by historic Black landmarks that tell the stories of those who fought for justice, equality and equity. There will be hot drinks and free bicycle checks.
- Dr. King Jr. and the Radical Roots at the Heart of Justice: 2 to 3 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Motus Theater will host a free, arts-based, family-friendly event exploring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s understanding of poverty and racism.
- MLK Day Discussion with John Burl Smith and Helanius J. Wilkins: 4 to 6 p.m. at RedLine Contemporary Art Center 2350 Arapahoe St. Denver. A free community event joining Smith and Wilkins in “Mile 18: One Year Later…A Conversation on the Labor and Love of Belonging.”
- Sanitas Brewing MLK Trivia Night: 7 to 9 p.m. at Sanitas Brewing, 3550 Frontier Ave., Boulder. Trivia to honor the achievements of MLK.