Hampton Roads Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

HAMPTON ROADS

The  Urban League of Hampton Roads’ 42nd annual community-wide event at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Jan. 15 with keynote speaker Carly Fiorina, Virginia’s national honorary chairperson of the VA250 Commission.

NORFOLK

The City of Norfolk to unveil a historical marker of the Attucks Theatre at 9 a.m. on Jan. 19 at the theatre to be followed by  “A Celebration of Unity and Freedom In Song” inside, featuring Minister Peggy Britt, Minister Earl Bynum and the Norfolk Street Choir Project. Participants will then march in unity to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument located at 701 Church St.

HAMPTON

Hampton to observe the national holiday by sponsoring the MLK Day of Service.

NEWPORT NEWS

The “Andrew Shannon  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. PARADE; FEEDING 5000 ™ and Gospel Music Celebration at New Beech Grove Baptist Church, 361 Beechmont Drive in Newport News, on Sunday, January 18t, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Dr. Willard Maxwell Jr. Pastor.

PORTSMOUTH

The annual Portsmouth NAACP Branch Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration on Monday, January 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at  Fourth Baptist Church, 726 South Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704.

PORTSMOUTH

“A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” free concert by The Virginia Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the City of Portsmouth at 7 p.m. at I.C. Norcom High School at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20.

SUFFOLK

`The S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation’s MLK Day of Service on Jan. 19 includes a brunch at the Hilton Garden Inn to recognize local leaders and raise scholarship funds.

VIRGINIA BEACH

“A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” free concert by The Virginia Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the City of Virginia Beach at 7 p.m. at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Market St UNIT 204, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.

RICHMOND

Virginia Union University’s annual Community Leaders Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 a.m., at the Richmond Marriott.

SMITHFIELD

The 2026 MLK Breakfast Celebration at the Smithfield Center.

SURRY COUNTY

The NAACP’s community gathering on Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Smithfield Center to include breakfast and guest speaker Patrick King Jr., principal of Surry Elementary School.

ATLANTA

The King Center’s annual series of in-person and hybrid MLK events on Jan. 19 starting at 10 a.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The MLK Center to also host MLK events on Jan. 19.

MIAMI

Miami’s televised 49th annual MLK Parade is scheduled begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 19, 2026. The parade is the oldest and largest celebration in the U.S., and attracts a record 500,000 crowd.  The parade follows 10 miles of sacred ground that Dr. King once traveled during his frequent engagements in Miami.

There are more than 100 entries that include corporate floats; federal, state, and local officials; police and military units; historic pioneers; high school and college marching bands; dance and drill teams; equestrians; classic and exotic cars; motorcycles; historic MD transit bus; civic, church, community, and veteran groups; and trade unions.

The parade will be videotaped and shown as an hour-long special on WLRN / PBS that has a viewership of 1.9 million people.