Celebrating the Legacy of MLK: 2025 Events in Davidson County

Get ready to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy with an array of exciting events happening in Davidson County. Here is a list of impactful contributions and vibrant vision through a series of festivities designed to inspire and unite the entire community.

▪︎ MLK African Arts Festival will be held at Citadel of Faith Christian Fellowship, 108 Salem St. in Thomasville, at 7 p.m. Jan. 17. The event will feature artists from the Collaborative Artists Placement Network from Winston-Salem. Admission is free. Attendees are asked to wear African attire.

▪︎ The Davidson County NAACP Lexington branch will host the 38th Freedom Fund Banquet honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18, but tickets to this event have sold out.

▪︎ Anything For Our Youth Group is thrilled to announce our annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Art Exhibition! This exciting event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM at The Commons on the Green, 200 Country Club Blvd., Lexington, NC.

To register to participate in the youth art exhibition, please use the link below:

https://docs.google.com/.../1DBsg9sMnHM92j06IeZ7.../edit

▪︎ The 25th MLK Oratorical Contest sponsored by Food Lion will be held on Jan. 18 at the T. Austin Finch Auditorium, 406 Unity St. in Thomasville, with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by the oratorical contest at 6 p.m. The mistress of ceremonies is Deborah Holt Noel, host of “NC Weekend” on PBS North Carolina. The MLK-SAC will give over $25,000 in college scholarships and trophies. High school juniors and seniors from the Piedmont Triad region will participate in the oratorical contest. The MLK-SAC will also honor MLK Beloved Community Awards recipients Joyce Johnson, Kelly Skeen Johnson, and Anthony Long. Food Lion will receive the Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award for its continued support since MLK-SAC’s inception in 1993.

▪︎ MLK Music Festival will be held at the T. Austin Finch Auditorium, 406 Unity St. in Thomasville, at 4 p.m. Jan. 19, featuring Nick Hayes and Cufflinx of Greensboro. Admission is free.

▪︎ Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - Lexington (NC) chapter annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial breakfast will take place at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 at Commons on the Green, 200 Country Club Drive. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Tickets to attend are $20.

▪︎ At 1 p.m. on Jan. 20, the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is hosted by the NAACP - Lexington, NC chapter. The parade will take place along Main Street in downtown Lexington. The parade participants will line up at the tennis courts behind Lexington Senior High School, march down Main Street, and end at West Ninth Avenue. The grand marshal will be Mattie Terry of Lexington. Contact Stephanie Hairston- 336-225-7235 for more information.

▪︎ JLD Community Solutions will be celebrating MLK Day with a fun and educational community event celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr! This free event. MLK Day "I Have a Dream" Crafts & Cocoa PopUp. Monday, January 20th 2 - 4 PM (Immediately following the MLK Day parade) Rescue Squad | 115 W 9th Ave. in Lexington.

▪︎ The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service will be held on Jan. 20 at Union Baptist Church, 110 Lincoln Ave. in Lexington. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. The speaker will be the Rev. Carlton Studivant, pastor of First Baptist Church on Village Drive. The MLK Youth Choir and MLK Mass Community Choir will provide music.

▪︎ The MLK 39th National Holiday Observance will begin on Jan. 20 with the Beloved Community Breakfast from 7-8:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall of Citadel of Faith Christian Fellowship. The breakfast is sponsored by sponsored by Citadel Health Ministries and Theta Eta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta. The breakfast will be followed by the Beloved Community Fellowship Service in the sanctuary at 8:30 am.

▪︎ The Thomasville celebrations will conclude with the MLK National Holiday Observance at 7 p.m. June 20 hosted by First Missionary Baptist Church, 103 Church St. in Thomasville. Apostle Michael Marshall of The Love Cathedral in Thomasville will be the keynote speaker.

Keep the dream alive - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."