Baltimore Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade Canceled For 2023

BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade has been canceled for a fourth consecutive year, the city's Office of Promotion and The Arts said in a statement released Thursday.

The parade, which was canceled in previous years due to COVID-19 restrictions, was canceled this year at the request of Mayor Brandon Scott, according to the statement.

"It is a conscious decision to celebrate Dr. King's legacy through a day of service rather than a parade," the organization said.

The last parade held in 2019 was the 19th year of the event, according to an archived event website. The parade featured more than 70 groups including high school and community bands, honor and color guards, equestrian units, fraternities and sororities, dance squads, and civic organizations.

The decision to cancel this year's parade was a joint decision between the mayor and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Monica Lewis, a spokesperson for the mayor told The Baltimore Banner.

"We love having parades to honor holidays and people who have made contributions to society, but we believe that the best way to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to encourage people to do what is necessary to help others and their communities get to a better place," Lewis told the publication.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a day of service. It is observed on the third Monday in January.

Baltimore residents can find places to volunteer by visiting the AmeriCorps website. Civic Works also has several project sites in the area where people can volunteer, according to the Banner.