While Mesa is not hosting an in-person parade and festival due to the pandemic, the city will honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a virtual parade.

The event is on MLK Day, Monday, Jan. 18, and Mesa is asking the community to participate, according to a release.

The city is partnering with the Mesa MLK Celebrating Committee to create the Mesa Digital Photo Parade. There are three ways to get involved:

• Past parade participants are being asked to solicit a photo.
• You can visit mesaaz.gov/mlkparade and take a picture with an online selfie card by answering the question “How am I/we living the dream?”
• You can record a video of 30 seconds or less of you and/or your group answering the question “How am I/we living the dream.” Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Entries will be compiled on the website and social media outlets and will be available for viewing on Jan. 18. The city will continue the recognition in Mesa during the month of February through a social media campaign highlighting Black History Month and ways for the community to be engaged, the release states.

In lieu of a physical East Valley parade and festival, a regional honoring of Dr. King will take place. The cities of Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix and Scottsdale and the Mesa MLK Celebration Committee will be joining with AZPBS (Channel 8) for a three-part mini documentary based on the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The documentary will be combined with performing artists and other features celebrating Dr. King during a special program that will be broadcast on Channel 8 during the Horizon time slot on MLK Day followed by a Facebook Live panel discussion featuring community leaders and historians.

Mesa’s annual MLK celebrations were created after residents, in 1996, voted to establish a citywide holiday recognizing the leadership of Dr. King. For more information on the MLK celebrations, go to mesaaz.gov/mlkparade.