LIST: Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations across Central Texas
Several marches and celebrations are planned for Monday to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Several marches, celebrations and volunteer opportunities are planned for Monday to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here are some local events:
MLK Celebration: The 30th annual community march will start at 9 a.m. at the MLK Statue on the University of Texas at Austin campus. After a short program, the march will lead to the south steps of the Capitol for a rally. Then, the march will lead to Huston-Tillotson University for more activities.
Leander MLK Day March and Celebration: The Leander event starts with a march from Camacho Elementary at 11 a.m. It will lead to Old Town Park for performances, dancers, musicians, choirs and spoken word artists.
Bastrop County MLK Day: A walk from Veterans Memorial Park will begin at Elgin at 10 a.m. The walk will include a stop at the Elgin Black Icons mural. Then, the walk will end at Booker T. Washington Elementary where a program will start at 11 a.m.
MLK Day food drive: The Pease Park Conservancy will hold a food drive Monday from noon to 5 p.m. Donations will support the Central Texas Food Bank. The most needed items include peanut butter, canned chicken or tuna, canned low-sodium vegetables, fruit in its own juice, dry pinto beans, brown rice, dry pasta, non-fat dry milk powder, whole grain cereal, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and canned entrees. Donations will be collected at Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park at 1100 Kingsbury Street, Austin.
San Marcos Martin Luther King Jr. Walk and Celebration: The annual event will start with a wreath-laying ceremony at LBJ and MLK at 9:30 a.m. Then a walk will lead to the courthouse with a brief program. A reception will follow with light refreshments at the Dunbar Recreation Center.
MLK Jr. Service Week: The United Way for Greater Austin has service opportunities Monday for people to honor King's legacy. They include a morning cleanup at Southwest Williamson County Regional Park from 9 a.m. to noon and an afternoon cleanup at Gus Garcia District park from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Later in the week, an educational walking tour will explore an Austin area that was created to segregate the Black community.
Know of an event not listed here? Let us know by emailing reportit@kxan.com.