Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2013 is celebrated on Monday, January 21. Legislation establishing the holiday became law in 1983 and it was first observed in 1986. For a variety of reasons, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day wasn't officially observed in all 50 states until 2000.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Interfaith Memorial Service at Second Baptist Church in Reno
The public is invited to this annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Interfaith Memorial Service on Sunday, January 20 at 3 p.m., presented by the Northern Nevada Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Committee and the Nevada Clergy Association. The Second Baptist Church is at 1265 Montello Street in Reno. For more information, call (775) 786-1800 or email gsavoyjr@communityofchrist.org.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Caravan
On Monday, January 21, meet at the Reno Second Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m. for a memorial caravan along U.S. 395, in honor of naming the route after Martin Luther King, Jr. The Second Baptist Church is at 1265 Montello Street in Reno. For more information, call (775) 786-1800 or email gsavoyjr@communityofchrist.org.
25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther Kings, Jr. Dinner Celebration
The public is invited to this celebration dinner on Monday, January 21, hosted by the Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society (NNBCAS). The guest speaker will be Krish Dhanam, internationally known motivational, business, and leadership orator. There will be a guest appearance by one of the Tuskegee Airmen. The guest performer will be local singer Whitney Myer.
The dinner will be at John Ascuaga's Nugget, 1100 Nugget Avenue in Sparks. There will be a cocktail reception starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The tickets are $55 per person. To buy tickets by phone and for more information, call NNBCAS at (775) 329-8990 or (775) 232-3961.
Tickets are also available at these locations...
- Northern Nevada International Center, 821 North Center Street, Reno. (775) 784-7515.
- Ensoul Hair Gallery, 855 East 4th Street, Reno. (775) 337-1181.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is providing Reno/Tahoe citizens with the opportunity to volunteer on the MLK Day of Service. Volunteers can help fight hunger in our region by sorting and packing food at the distribution center. There will be three volunteer sessions at the Food Bank on Monday, January 21 - 9 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sessions will be at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada Donald W. Reynolds Food Distribution Center, 550 Italy Drive, McCarran, NV 89434. To get there, drive east from Sparks on I80 to Exit 32, USA Parkway. Turn right from the off ramp and follow USA Parkway for approximately 2.5 miles. Turn left on Italy Drive and the Food Bank is a short distance on the right. (Note: The morning session is full, but there is room in the other two sessions.)
Adults and children 10 years and older (accompanied by an adult) are invited to join the Food Bank for the King Day of Service. For more information or to sign up, call (775) 331-3663.
Reno Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Schedule
All city offices will be closed. Most, but not all, recreation facilities will be closed.- Rink on the River: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Northwest Pool: open regular hours.
- Rosewood Lakes Golf Course: closed for the season.
- Northeast Community Center & Pool: closed
- Teglia's Paradise Park Activity Center: closed
- Neil Road Recreation Center: closed
- McKinley Arts & Culture Center: closed
- Sibayan R.E.C.: closed
Sparks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Closures
All city offices will be closed. Sparks Parks & Recreation facilities will be closed, including the Alf Sorensen Community Center and the Larry D. Johnson Community Center.Free Weekend in our National Parks
All 397 units of the National Park Service are offering free admission during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on Monday January 21, 2013. There are several national parks units within a day's drive of Reno, though snowfall this winter means some roads and facilities will be closed. Some of these parks include Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Death Valley National Park, Pt. Reyes National Seashore (it's whale watching time) and other units in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Because of snow in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, Death Valley and the Bay Area are probably your best bets for January visits.
Here are other free admission days at the national parks during 2013... April 22 to 26 - National Park Week August 25 - National Park Service Birthday September 28 - National Public Lands Day November 9 to 11 - Veterans Day weekend
