The fruit packing house gallery at Sahuaro Ranch Park, 9802 N. 59th Ave. in Glendale. During MLK Day of Service 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 18, at Sahuaro Ranch Park, volunteers will glean fruit.
(Courtesy Glendale Arts Council)
Photo from 2023 MLK Day of Celebration and Service in city of Surprise, which will its ninth annual event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at Willow Canyon High School, 17901 W. Lundberg Street.
Independent Newsmedia/Delarita Ford
Celebrations and community services events commemorating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are underway as municipalities and community groups partner for festivities throughout the Valley.
Municipalities including Phoenix, Surprise, Scottsdale, Mesa and more are among the Valley-wide celebrations honoring the late civil rights leader.
Among the first to celebrate the occasion is the city of Tempe and the Human Relations Commission, which held its 2025 MLK Diversity Awards Ceremony on Jan. 13, recognizing people and organizations committed to diversity, inclusion, and those exemplifying the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make his dream a reality.
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(Courtesy Glendale Arts Council)
The fruit packing house gallery at Sahuaro Ranch Park, 9802 N. 59th Ave. in Glendale. During MLK Day of Service 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 18, at Sahuaro Ranch Park, volunteers will glean fruit.
Independent Newsmedia/Delarita Ford
Photo from 2023 MLK Day of Celebration and Service in city of Surprise, which will its ninth annual event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at Willow Canyon High School, 17901 W. Lundberg Street.
Celebrations and community services events commemorating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are underway as municipalities and community groups partner for festivities throughout the Valley.
Municipalities including Phoenix, Surprise, Scottsdale, Mesa and more are among the Valley-wide celebrations honoring the late civil rights leader.
Among the first to celebrate the occasion is the city of Tempe and the Human Relations Commission, which held its 2025 MLK Diversity Awards Ceremony on Jan. 13, recognizing people and organizations committed to diversity, inclusion, and those exemplifying the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make his dream a reality.
Check local area websites for updates regarding events scheduled throughout the month.West Valley and Phoenix events are detailed below:
Glendale
MLK Day of Service is 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 18, at Sahuaro Ranch Park, 9802 N. 59th Ave., and Manistee Ranch Park, 5127 W. Northern Ave.
HandsOn Greater Phoenix and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the city of Glendale welcomes more than 200 volunteers to help glean fruit from Sahuaro Ranch Park to beautify the Glendale landmark. Information: glendaleaz.com
Anthem
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration & Unity Walk 2025 is 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Anthem Civic Building, 3701 W. Anthem Way. In addition to a free continental breakfast at 9 a.m., the fourth annual Anthem MLK Day Celebration includes a unity walk for the community. Information: anthemcouncil.com.
Peoria
Peoria’s Arts and Culture Department with Vibrant Communities will have a community event 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Peoria City Hall Centennial Park back lawn, 8401 W. Monroe Street. Live arts and cultural entertainment includes Jacki Morales from Mega 104.3 as event host, Peoria Unified School District children’s choir performances, singer Lisa Hightower, and the headlining group The Kings of Soul Band, African drumming demonstrations by Lydia Woods of Drum Arizona, and a live mural painting by local artist Cinque Smith. There will be food trucks with complimentary small bites. For a full meal, full plate options will also be available to buy from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Information: peoriaaz.gov/events.
Phoenix
The Arizona Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee hosts the MLK Celebration for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March and Festival starting 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20. City of Phoenix leaders, schools, local businesses, churches and community organizations will pay homage with its traditional MLK March beginning at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 1401 E. Jefferson Street, and ending at Hance Park. Assemble at 8:45 a.m. and the march begins at 9 a.m. The MLK Festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Margaret T. Hance Park, 67 W. Culver Street, Phoenix. Information: azmlk.org or email info@azmlk.org.
The city of Surprise Human Services and Community Vitality Department hosts the ninth annual MLK Day of Celebration and Service 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 18, at Willow Canyon High School, 17901 W. Lundberg Street. Theme, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” encourages community members of all ages to embrace service as a path to greatness.
A volunteer check-in and a free breakfast for the first 500 volunteers starts the day, followed by the celebration program at 9 a.m. with an invocation from Transformation Community Church Pastor Jason L. Flowers, and a welcome address from Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor. TV Broadcaster Susan Casper will emcee. Performances by the Willow Canyon choir, Surprise Sings Community Choir, Voices of Gideon from Gideon Missionary Baptist Church, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Choir and The Be Kind People Project are slated.
The celebration will also highlight local nonprofit organizations and community submissions to the #SurpriseCelebratesMLK challenge to individuals and groups to reflect on “How do you serve?” After the program, from 10 a.m. to noon, attendees participate in hands-on service projects including packing food for a local food bank, assembling hygiene kits, writing letters of encouragement, and more. Preregistration is required, groups and individuals can sign up at surpriseaz.gov/DOSVolunteer. Vitalant mobile blood drive is 8 a.m-12 p.m. Information: surpriseaz.gov/MLK. For sponsorship opportunities or general event information, contact Kara Poling at kara.poling@surpriseaz.gov, or call 623-222-1647.
Meet Delarita Delarita Ford originally joined Independent Newspapers Incorporated, now Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA in 1997, as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware State News daily paper after starting her journalism career in Maryland in 1994, where she honed her skills by writing obituaries, covering community news from births to deaths, education to legislation and more. As a reporter, she has had the opportunity to cover sitting and former U.S. presidential visits in Baltimore, Delaware, and Arizona.
Community: One of the few seasoned journalists who still enjoys covering community events, she can be found with a reporter’s pad taking notes, her phone taking pictures while capturing life’s moments to memorialize them in print for the local newspapers and for the active-adult community where she lives. She maintains a presence with the Black media and the National Association of Black Journalists to encourage peers, socialize, and mentor younger writers.
Education: Life learner who learns from life. Aside from the collegiate education received, she got the best training from on-the-job experience with former editors who went through copy with a red pen and demanded the best writing for hard news and feature stories.
Random Fact: While a Delaware State News reporter, she could call then Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, usually late at night if a quote or input was needed for varying topics, including legislation and education.
Hobbies: Adopt rescue dogs and give them a nice home. Continuously read and critique news stories from various platforms.
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