Mesa to host Arizona’s only MLK Day Parade on Monday
Jan 14, 2024, 7:15 AM
(City of Mesa, Arizona Government/Facebook photo)
PHOENIX — Mesa will put on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 2024 Parade and Festival on Monday, touted as the state’s only MLK Day parade.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Transforming Communities: Building Bridges Together.”
The parade, which is presented by Amazon, will start at 11 a.m. at the intersection of MLK Way and Center Street heading south, turn east on First Street and end on Hibbert in downtown Mesa.
The parade will include marching bands, dance groups, schools, community leaders, elected officials and more.
“We firmly believe that true transformation starts at the grassroots level,” the city said in a press release. “Our commitment goes beyond commemorating Dr. King’s dream; it extends to actively building bridges within our community. We believe in fostering connections, understanding and collaboration year-round, and we kick-off this mission with our annual parade and festival.”
After the parade, Mesa’s community festival runs from 12-4 p.m. at the Mesa City Plaza, across from the Mesa Arts Center.
As part of the festivities, two downtown Mesa museums are offering half-price admission including the Arizona Museum of Natural History, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the i.d.e.a. Museum, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.