Where To Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Austin

It’s almost Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! The annual holiday falls on Monday, Jan. 20, this year, and Austin has plenty of ways to celebrate. Here are your weekend plans:

🎂 MLK Birthday Celebration at Austin Public Library’s Central Library

The Central Library downtown, 710 West César Chávez St., is hosting a celebration on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The Meridian World School Black Culture Choir and Elizabeth Kahura will perform, and Huston-Tillotson University’s Politics Lab of the James L. Farmer House will host a panel discussion. The event is free to attend.

🎊 Austin MLK Community March, Festival, and Food Drive

Austin’s MLK Day march will start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday on the south steps of the Texas Capitol with a rally. Marchers will then head east on 11th Street from the Capitol, ending at Huston-Tillotson University. There, enjoy a family-friendly festival with live music and vendors. If you plan on attending the march or festival, bring canned goods or non-perishable items to donate to the Central Texas Food Bank.

🫶 MLK Day Donation Drive at Pease Park

Pease Park Conservancy volunteers will be out at Pease Park, 1100 Kingsbury St., between noon and 5 p.m. on Monday collecting canned food donations for a local food bank, and diapers and period products for Austin Diaper Bank. Look for volunteers at the park’s picnic tables.

🗣️ How are you planning on celebrating Dr. King?