St. Pete MLK Parade 2016: What You Need to Know

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice National Parade steps off in St. Petersburg Monday.

Tampa Bay area residents who plan on going need to know a few things before they head out:

Parade Times

The parade is set to begin at 11 a.m., Jan. 18, 2016. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to avoid the traffic.

Parade Route

The parade begins on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street at Third Avenue South and proceeds north to Central Avenue. From there it turns east along Central to Bayshore Drive where a north turn onto Fifth Avenue Northeast begins.

The parade disbands into Vinoy and North Shore Parks.

Traffic Peak Times

The City of St. Petersburg said motorists are likely to notice the biggest disruptions to downtown traffic between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Motorists are advised to plan their routes carefully and use streets west of 16th Street.

“After 10:30 a.m., drivers wanting to cross First Avenue North, Central Avenue or First Avenue South are advised to use 28th Street, I-275 or streets farther west,” the city wrote in an email to media.

Parking

City officials say that parking will be restricted along the parade route Sunday night with placement of barricades set to begin as early as 1 a.m. Monday. Residents will want to take note that their Residential Parking Permits do not exempt them from receiving citations or possible relocation during the special event.

The Central Avenue Trolley will operate a modified route on Monday, using First Avenue North and Fourth Avenue North to bypass the parade route. Regular fares (50 cents a ride) apply. There will be no service on Central Avenue between First Street and 16th Street until 3:30 p.m. or so. CAT service is not running on Monday to Beach Drive, Pier or Dolphin parking lots until after the parade.

All city-owned downtown parking facilities will be open Monday with the exception of the MSC garage. The Sundial/Muvico Parking Garage at 117 Second St. N. will offer a rate of $1 for four hours and $1 for each hour after, to accommodate parade goers. Other parking areas include Al Lang Stadium Parking Lot, SouthCore Parking Garage and lots along Beach Drive. Prices vary.

Downtown Looper Trolley

This will not be in service on Monday, Jan. 18.

Extra Fun

Following the parade, attendees are invited to join the MLK 2016 Family Fun Festival, which will be staged on the east side of Tropicana Field, parking lot 7A. The event runs from 2 to 7 p.m. and features free activities, games, a car show, music, food and more.

Admission is free to the after-event and parking will be made available in Tropicana Field’s Lot 6.

For more information, visit the city online.

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 at Lincoln Memorial (National Park Service)