What to Know
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, Jan. 15
- The Kingdom Day Parade will take place on Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the parade begins at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Arlington Avenue
- L.A. Works will hold a Volunteer Festival at L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Jan. 15 from noon to 4 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day pays homage to the great civil rights leader and his many important works, the lasting contributions that have remained central to his towering and time-honored legacy.
Los Angeles has many moving exhibits, events, jubilant parades, and ways to pitch in and contribute to the community each Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will be observed on Jan. 15 in 2024.
The January holiday has become a major occasion for volunteering, so your first step might be to check with the organizations you already help out or would like to know more about, and see if they'll participate in the MLK Day of Service.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
L.A. Works will host a sizable gathering at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, starting at noon on Jan. 15. The Volunteer Festival: Take Action to Support Our Beloved Community will welcome "thousands of volunteers" and offer a line-up of give-back activities, as well as music, pursuits for kids, and more.
You can read more about the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, and the many ways you can participate and make a difference, at the AmeriCorps site.
The Kingdom Day Parade will depart from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Arlington Avenue that morning at 10 o'clock. The 2024 theme is "Can't Stop, Won't Stop, Going to the Promised Land," a stirring message to keep in focus as the "World's Largest & Longest Running Life Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King" ebulliently unfurls over several city blocks.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration, a Central Long Beach tradition, is taking place two days before the holiday itself: Saturday, Jan. 13 is when you'll want to be there and 10 a.m. is the start time. The parade starts at Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street, with a festival concluding the day at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Big Sunday's 12th Annual MLK Day Clothing Drive & Community Breakfast is also set for Jan. 15. Keep in mind that this won't take place at the Big Sunday headquarters; you'll want to head for 42nd Elementary Street School at 4231 4th Avenue at 10 a.m. on the 15th. A Civil Rights Exhibit is one centerpiece, while arts & crafts will be among the nonprofit-helping pursuits.
The Skirball Cultural Center will offer complimentary admission to "This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement," an exhibit that features "more than 150 photographs taken by Movement insiders who chronicled the fight for civil rights." Other curator-led tours and events will take place on MLK Day at the Skirball (Jan. 15).
There are six fee-free days in our country's national parks in 2024, and the first takes place in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Visit Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, or another favorite natural spot on Jan. 15 and enjoy the beauty at no cost. For details on the occasion, and other fee-free days to come in the parks, visit this site.
