Downtown Las Vegas ready for 42nd annual MLK Day Parade

Las Vegas Review-Journal

11 months ago

Twin sisters Ava and Anaya Pedraza, 2, make heart shapes with their hands as floats passing by ... — Twin sisters Ava and Anaya Pedraza, 2, make heart shapes with their hands as floats passing by during the 41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Downtown Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, with their mother Diana Pedraza, left, and brother Miguel Pedraza, 5, behind. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

Kids from Wendell P. Williams Elementary School walk in the 41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade in downtown Las Vegas on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae

The 42nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade is set for Monday morning in downtown Las Vegas.

Floats and other participants started to line up at 8 a.m. at Fourth Street and Hoover Avenue leading up to the 10 a.m. start. The parade route goes down Fourth from Gass Avenue to Ogden Avenue.

This year’s theme is “Living the Dream — Together We Make the Dream Work.”

Parade founder Wendell Williams said the first parade had about 11 entries and this year that number has grown to almost 200.

“It has evolved, and I’m really appreciative that the community has embraced it,” Williams said.

Grand marshals include Bobby Ray McRoy, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Bishop Tommy Collier and his wife, Elect Lady Shirley Collier.

Youth marshals will be Ronzone Elementary School fifth grader Jeremiah Fennell and Clark High School sophomore Alliah Jordan.

According to Clark County, road closures began at 6 a.m. They include Fourth from Charleston Boulevard to Stewart Avenue, Third Street from Garces to Coolidge avenues and all side streets in between. The closures are expected to be in place until 4 p.m.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Planz said Thursday that no rain is expected on Monday. Winds should be between 5 and 10 mph. The high Monday is forecast to be 58 degrees.

Attendees should expect temperatures to be in the low to mid 50s between 10 a.m. and noon.

For those heading downtown early, the low Sunday night into Monday morning is forecast to be 39 degrees, according to Planz.

The parade is part of King Week in Las Vegas with events including an MLK Technology Summit and scholarship banquet.

According to the parade website, the parade will commence no matter the weather conditions.

“It’s going to be really exciting this year. We got a few surprises,” Williams said. “It’s going to be a real festive parade because it’s a birthday parade. It’s MLK’s birthday.”

Williams said the main viewing stage will be at Fourth and Bridger Avenue. For those who can’t attend, the parade will be televised locally on Channel 13.

For more information, visit www.kingweeklasvegas.com.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com.