Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Events in Washington, DC

Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday is a day of honor and commemorative events at a variety of sites in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday is January 15th and is celebrated each year on the third Monday in January.

In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service. Here is a schedule of special events to honor this civil rights leader and to give local residents the opportunity to reach out to help those in need.

In 2009, Martin Luther King's Birthday will be celebrated along with the Presidential Inauguration with a number of special events drawing larger crowds than ever before. Check the schedule and be sure to purchase tickets early (if required) and give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the event.

Choral Arts Society Tribute to Martin Luther King
January 11, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC.
The program entitled Voices: Reflections on an American Icon Through Words and Song features soloists, choruses and instrumentalists joining together to bring a message of peace throughout the world. Tickets: $20.

2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
January 15 - 19, 2009. Join a community service organization or create your own event to serve the DC community and make a difference. To honor Dr. King’s legacy, Obama, Biden and their families will participate on January 19 in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, DC area.

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance
January 16, 2009, 11:00 a.m.
Department of Interior, Auditorium
18th and C Streets, NW, Washington, DC.
This ceremony commemorates the life and legacy of this great human rights leader with an honor guard presentation of colors and musical entertainment from a local school choir.

"Let Freedom Ring" at The Kennedy Center
January 19, 2008, 6 p.m. The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University host a musical celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in a free Millennium Stage concert featuring Aretha Franklin, Nuttin' but Stringz, and the Let Freedom Ring Choir. Tickets are required and will be distributed the day of the event in front of the Concert Hall beginning at 4 p.m.

2009 Annual Civil Rights “Film Festival”
January 11-19, 2009, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
1411 W Street, SE, Washington, DC
Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday viewing films featuring the struggles and triumphs of the civil rights movement and celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For more information, call (202)426-5961.

Anacostia Community Museum - Martin Luther King, Jr. Program
January 15, 2009, 7:00 pm
Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History
10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
The program Latinos and Civil Rights: Changing Face of America will include Baldemar Velasquez, Founder and President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), AFL-CIO as the Keynote Speaker, a question-and-answer period, and a book and CD signing.

Lincoln Memorial
January 16, 2009, 1:00 p.m. 23rd and Independence Ave., NW, Washington, DC. The National Park Service will place a wreath at the Lincoln Memorial, on the steps where Dr. King gave his 1963 speech. The recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech will be presented by students of Washington, DC’s Watkins Elementary School.

Also on Sunday, January 18, 2009 – An official welcome concert will be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to kick off the inaugural celebration. The event will be open to the public. See details about the inaugural concert.

National Cathedral Martin Luther King Program
January 19, 2009, 2 p.m. Washington National Cathedral,Wisconsin & Massachusetts Avenues, NW Washington, DC. Hip Hop Poet Bomani Armah, Urban Nation Hip Hop Choir, Violinist Daniel Davis, other artists reflect on King and contemplate Obama's leadership. Local poet, performer and educator Bomani Armah will lead a multi-sensory, musical and energized celebration along with middle and high school students. The event is free and open to the public.

"King: A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis"
AFI Silver Theatre. January 19, 2009, 9:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD. Attend a free showing of the documentary film of Dr. King, from the Montgomery bus boycott to the I Have A Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Notable commentators that appear in the film include Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, and Paul Newman.