Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, and communities around Austin are holding events to honor the civil rights leader’s memory over the next couple of weeks. But an incoming cold front has led some organizers to cancel or reschedule events. Here's what we know.
Before heading out for any events in the coming days, make sure to check organizers' websites to see if plans have changed.
MLK Community March, Festival and Food Drive
The annual march in downtown Austin, originally scheduled for Monday, has been canceled, according to an email from UT Austin's Division of Campus and Community Engagement.
A festival featuring local food vendors, musicians and businesses will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Huston-Tillotson University. As part of the festival, organizers are taking non-perishable food donations for the Central Texas Food Bank. Visit the Austin Area Heritage Council's website to see the guidelines for donating and more details about the event.
The United Way for Greater Austin is also looking for volunteers to help run the festival.
Food drive at Pease Park
The Pease Park Conservancy is looking for donations for the food drive it’s hosting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday. Meet at the Tudor Cottage in the Kingsbury Commons area of the park. Donations will benefit the Central Texas Food Bank.
Gus Garcia Park cleanup
Environmental nonprofit Families in Nature is hosting a cleanup of Gustavo “Gus” L. Garcia District Park in Northeast Austin. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21. You can register on the organization’s website.
Open mic poetry night
The VORTEX, a performing arts theater in the Cherrywood neighborhood, has canceled its open mic night dedicated to the holiday.
Historic walking tour of East Austin
On Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, the United Way for Greater Austin and Black Austin Tours are offering a free 1-mile tour starting on East 11th Street about the history of the city’s Black community, including Austin’s segregated development plan. You can sign up on the United Way’s website.
San Marcos events
The City of San Marcos has postponed a rededication ceremony for the LBJ MLK Crossroads Memorial. The sculpture celebrates President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s collaboration on civil rights. The event will take place at the intersection of LBJ and MLK drives. A new date is to be determined.
Check for updates on the city's MLK Day events at the Dunbar Heritage Association website.
Georgetown events
The City of Georgetown and local groups have canceled and postponed a few different events originally scheduled for Monday:
- A prayer breakfast hosted by the Georgetown Ministerial Alliance and the Georgetown Police Department has been canceled.
- The youth service day at the Georgetown Community Center has also been canceled.
- A march on the north side of the Williamson County Courthouse has been postponed.
Find out more about the events on the city’s website.
Leander march
The City of Leander’s march that was set to start at Camacho Elementary School has been postponed. The celebration at the park will include musicians, dancers, spoken word performers and a marketplace.
Bastrop County program
The annual county march has been canceled this year because of the weather, but a program celebrating the holiday will take place at the Smithville Recreation Center at 11:15 a.m.
