LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Parade in Downtown Las Vegas is just around the corner, and Channel 13 is proud to once again be your official broadcast partner, bringing the sights and sounds of this beloved tradition right to your living room.
The parade is happening Monday, Jan. 19. It's a day that brings locals of all ages together to celebrate Dr. King's legacy, and two outstanding youth will be recognized in a very special way.
Meet this year's Junior Grand Marshals!
La'rell Wysinger
For La'rell Wysinger, this year's parade will be a bit of a homecoming. Las Vegas is where he spent a lot of his childhood and started his business, but he's on the other side of the country now, studying at South Carolina State University, an HBCU. That's why being named a Junior Grand Marshal came as such a shock to him.
"I'm in college, I'm not really back home. Of course, I know my impact back home, but I'm kind of doing my own thing now. So when they told me that I was, I was like, 'Wow, everything I've been putting in is actually being recognized,' and I appreciate that. I'm showing that I'm more than just a food truck owner, I'm an impact to the community, and I really feel like that is what a Junior Grand Marshal is this year," Wysinger said.
Wysinger is an author, college student, and business owner who has embraced both educational, editorial, and entrepreneurial success at a young age.
As a teen in Las Vegas, he founded Chily Barkers, a food truck that specializes in soul food. He tells me he's most known for his cornbread bundt cake, but he's expanded his menu, always evolving as his culinary expertise grows.
"I started my business at 12. I've been a young entrepreneur since then. Las Vegas has shown me an immense amount of support, from booking me for events, to getting my name out there, to being on different segments throughout my time as an entrepreneur, has been a lot helpful to push me out there and get confidence in this field," Wysinger said.
Even though he's in school on the East Coast now, that entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well within Wysinger. He told me he cooks between classes and sells plates of food on campus, because after all, the South loves soul food. And guiding him through it all is the legacy of Dr. King.
"Inspiring a generation was what Dr. King was all about. In my own way, inspiring young entrepreneurs and young people in that sense is the way I do that, through young men and showing them that they can do anything that's possible. Age is nothing but a number. I started a business at 12 and still going strong today," Wysinger.
Now, he's sharing that wisdom in a new book titled "The Five Motivational Steps to Being a Young Entrepreneur," sharing stories from his business journey. He added that this book isn't just for entrepreneurs, but really it's for any young people looking for some motivation and direction.
Miley Nobles
Local high schooler Miley Nobles said the honor came as a complete surprise.
"I just remember being so shocked and feeling very honored and thankful to have been given this opportunity," Nobles said.
She said she went to the parade a couple of years ago and marched with Belinda T. Harris when she was running to be Chief Judge in North Las Vegas. Funny enough, Harris is also getting a special honor in this year's parade — she's a Grand Marshal!
"It's was so amazing to just see everybody in the community come together to celebrate Dr. King," Nobles said.
She said the community pride and unity at the parade is always something to behold. It's also a chance to nurture old connections and make new ones.
"I think it's something I'm going to remember for a very long time," she said.
She added that this honor is also a testament to the work she's put in.
"I feel like it shows me that my actions in the community are not going unnoticed," Nobles said.
Nobles led an initiative to collect hoodies for unhoused youth.
"Dr. King, he was big on leadership and community and helping those people in your community, which I have taken in my life and those have really inspired me, which is why I started my own organization and is why I have given back to people, because I was inspired by him," Nobles said.
Along with giving back outside of school, she excels in the classroom, too. She is the valedictorian at Canyon Springs High School, and she said Dr. King inspired her to achieve educational excellence.
"Because of him, I was shown that education is an important thing to have and that being educated and getting a good education can help you get very far in life and have good connections with people who are also educated," Nobles said.
