By JON WILSON, Consulting Editor, TB Reporter

Five days of activity, including a new family fun festival, begin Thursday.

ST. PETERSBURG — The annual Drum Major for Justice National Parade takes place Monday (Jan. 18), starting at 11 a.m. at Third Avenue S and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. It is the 31st year for the parade. It will go down Central Avenue to Bayshore Drive and turn north to Fifth Avenue NE before disbanding at Vinoy Park.

A new event, the Family Fun Festival, takes place immediately after the parade on the east side of Tropicana Field (Parking Lot 7A). It will last until 7 p.m. Admission is free, and free activities and games are featured. There will be music, recording artists and a car show. There is free parking in Tropicana’s Parking Lot 6. Those attending should enter from First Avenue S near 14th Street.  For more information or for vendors to register, call (727) 321-7919.

Parade entry applications are available at the Enoch Davis Center, Campbell Park or Wildwood recreation centers, or online at www.mlknationalparade.com. For information, call (727) 388-9494 or email MLKholidaylegacy@gmail.com

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration actually begins Thursday (Jan. 14), 7 p.m. at the Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S, when students will make their final oratorical presentations in the MLK High School Essay Contest. It is free and open to the public. Contact: Lynette Buchanan, (727) 893-7134.

Other events include:

• Friday (Jan. 15), 7 p.m. at the Bayfront Hilton. Drum Major for Justice Leadership Awards Banquet. It is the official opening of MLK Week. Tickets are $45, available at Enoch Davis Center and Looking Good Men’s Fashions. Contact: MLKholidaylegacy@gmail.com or call (727) 388-9494 and leave message.
• Sunday (Jan. 17), 4 p.m. at Maximo Presbyterian Church, 3200 58th Ave. S. Dr. Kanika Tomalin, deputy mayor, is the keynote speaker. The guest speaker is Angela Rouson, president of the National Council of Negro Women. Event host is the St. Petersburg Interfaith Organization.
• Sunday (Jan. 17), 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Carter G. Woodson Museum of African American History, 2240 Ninth Ave. S. MLK Week candlelight vigil.
• Monday (Jan. 18), 7:30 a.m. at the Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N. MLK Leadership Awards Breakfast. Tickets are $25 advance, $30 at the door, available at the Coliseum box office. Keynote Speaker is Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant. Contact: National Council of Negro Women St. Petersburg Metropolitan Section, (727) 896-6556 or visit www.mlkbreakfast-stpete.com.

For information about MLK Holiday and Legacy Association’s  banquet or parade, contact the Holiday Legacy office at (727) 388-9494 and leave a message, email MLKholidaylegacy@gmail.com or visit www.mlknationalparade.com.

For parade day vendor inquiries, contact Thomas Huggins (813) 207-0003 or visit the MLK parade vendor website, www.spmlkparade.com.

St. Petersburg | Events | Holidays | Parades | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | TB Reporter

St. Petersburg | Events | Holidays | Parades | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | TB Reporter