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Annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade returns to downtown Las Vegas for its 41st year

41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade returns to downtown Las Vegas
PHOTOS: 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade
PHOTOS: 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade
Posted at 7:58 AM, Jan 16, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-16 21:55:06-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On Monday morning, the Martin Luther King Jr. parade will roll through downtown Las Vegas.

The parade celebrates the life and legacy of the civil rights activist who would have turned 94 this year.

Las Vegas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade 2023 (Full parade)

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will last approximately two hours.

The parade route along 4th Street starts at Gass Avenue and ends at Ogden Avenue.

This year’s parade theme is “Living the dream — it starts with me." You'll see floats, marching performances, and much more.

The founder of the Las Vegas Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, Wendell WIlliams, said in its first year, the event was so small they only had about 13 entries. Now, 41 years later, it has grown to be one of the biggest parades of its kind in the country.

"I’m really happy the community has embraced it for so many years and it's getting bigger and bigger. It's becoming one of the Las Vegas events that people look forward to, and that's a tribute to him and to his family," Williams said. "The parade draws people out and our hope is that those people look at the other things we're doing in the community."

Although rain is in the forecast on Monday, parade organizers say the show will go on as planned.

KTNV will broadcast the parade live for the first time in its history on Channel 13 and ktnv.com/live.