9-Day Dr. Martin Luther King Festival Kicks Off In Plant City Friday

PLANT CITY, FL — Plant City is preparing to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the nine-day 37th annual Plant City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Arts Festival from Jan. 13 to 21.

Hosted by the Improvement League of Plant City, this year's title sponsors are Mosaic Co., Tampa Electric and the city of Plant City.

The festival will kick off Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with opening ceremonies at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, 1601 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Maxie Miller with presentations by the Lincoln International Baccalaureate Music Department and the Marshall Middle School International Baccalaureate Gentlemen's Quest.

Throughout the nine-day festival, residents are invited to take a selfie tour along Plant City's African American Historic Trail featuring 28 historic structures, places and parks affiliated with the city's African American history including the recently completed downtown mural featuring prominent Plant City Black leaders including E.L. Bing, Sadye G. Martin and Officer Lee Candis, Plant City's first African American police officer.

The celebration will continue Saturday when the Improvement League of Plant City hosts the 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Parade from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Featuring school bands, floats, dance troupes, dignitaries and children's organizations, the 1.4-mile parade will begin at Wheeler Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, run along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and end at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Complex, 1601 E Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

The staging area will be at the corner of Wheeler Street and MLK Boulevard.

Parking will be available at:

• Wells Fargo parking lot
• Plant City Photo Archives parking lot
• Downtown Mural parking lots (Ace Realty Advisors) at the corner of Collins St. and MLK Boulevard
• Willaford Railroad Museum parking lot
• Sam Cooper Park & Lake at MLK Boulevard and Lake Street
• Bing House and Charlow Funeral Home at MLK Boulevard and Allen Street
• Marshall Middle School gym area at the corner of Maryland Avenue and MLK Boulevard

At the recreation center, attendees are invited to enjoy food, vendors, entertainment and giveaways at the Black and Brown Expo.

The expo gets underway before the parade with live music from 11:30 to 12:45 p.m. then pauses for the parade.

The event gears back up after the parade with the Drumline Battle of the Bands from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and live music from 4 to 7 p.m.

On Sunday, the league will host the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Breakfast, catered by Steph's Southern Soul Food Restaurant, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City.

Deanne King of WFLA TV will serve as the mistress of ceremonies and Otis Cliatt, president of Pacific Railroad and a trustee at Florida A&M University will present the keynote speech.

The breakfast will conclude with the presentation of Community Champion Awards and scholarships.

Following the breakfast, the Gospel Extravaganza will take place at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 604 W Ball St.

The event will feature the Georgia Mass Choir, which performed in the Whitney Houston movie, "Preacher's Wife," and during the 1996 Olympics. The Tampa Boys and local praise and worship teams will perform as well. Admission is $20.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a 2K walk through historic Lincoln Park.