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As residents are enjoying the long holiday weekend, a slew of events will be held to remember the reason for the extra day off, honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nearly sixty years ago, Dr. King gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. While many of those hopes and dreams have largely come to be a reality, King’s birthday, which we now celebrate every Jan. 15, serves as a reminder of how far we have come and the work still needed to be done.

LaGrange will kick off the holiday events with its 35^th annual MLK Jr. Parade hosted by the Theta Xi Zeta chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. This year’s theme is “Living the Dream – It Starts with Me.”

Local realtor Maria Harris, owner of Blessed Realty in LaGrange, will serve as grand marshal for the 2024 MLK Parade.

The parade will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The parade route will begin and end at 100 Hunnicutt Place. The route will follow the same route as the annual Christmas Parade, going through North Greenwood Street, West Haralson Street, Church Street, Broome Street, then Ridley Avenue back to North Greenwood.

Theta Xi Zeta will host a non-profit mini-fair on Lafayette Square immediately following the parade from 2 to 6 p.m. Organizers are calling the mini-fair “A Day of Service.” The event is free of charge to the general public. Everyone is encouraged to come out and learn about local nonprofits and the services they offer.

Several prayer breakfasts are scheduled on Monday to honor King, including two featuring guest speaker Mayor Willie Edmondson.

Edmonson will first speak at the annual MLK Celebration at Goodsell United Methodist Church in Lanett at 10 a.m. The event is organized and sponsored by the Lamda Zeta Omega of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The theme for the event is “Living the Dream: It Starts with Me – Spreading Hope Courage and Empathy.” The event is free and open to the public.

Later on, Edmondson will speak at the NAACP MLK Prayer Breakfast at Main Event on Daniel Street in LaGrange. The breakfast will also start at 10 a.m. Tickets are $20 per person.

The NAACP Troup Branch will also host an event to remember Dr. Martin Luther King at Warren Temple Methodist Church on E. Depot Street in LaGrange from 6-8 p.m. on Monday. The event will feature Attorney Andrew Lamporos, as guest speaker. The event is free and open to the public.

Smyrna Baptist Church on Cameron Mill Road will host “A Day of Service” Keeping the Dream Alive, sponsored by their Mens Matters Ministry. LaGrange Fire Chief Willie Bradfield will serve as guest speaker for the event.