Pembroke Pines to honor MLK Day with parade and celebration. Here are details
During a morning centered on honor, legacy and community, the City of Pembroke Pines will host its inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on the national holiday, Monday, Jan. 19, at the Charles F. Dodge City Center.
The MLK Parade is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., followed by the celebration at 10 a.m. The event will run until 12:30 p.m. The parade will be led by two grand marshals, Mayor Angelo Castillo and Shauna Hicks-Lee.
All ages are invited to the hourlong parade, which will travel around the city center before the festivities move to the main plaza.
The parade will travel south along 103rd Avenue to Washington Street, loop north to 106th Avenue and conclude in front of City Hall.
The post-parade celebration will include poetry, dance performances, family arts and crafts and bounce houses. There will also be business vendors and food trucks on-site.
The Deep Fried Funk band will perform from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The band, led by three-time Grammy Award nominee Jody Hill, is known for its high-energy performances and original arrangements of popular R&B, funk, jazz and Top 40 songs.
The celebration will also showcase the winners of the City of Pembroke Pines’ annual Martin Luther King Jr. Poetry Contest, a youth literature competition open to students in grades 3 through 12 who attend school or reside in the city.
One winner will be selected from each grade level category:
- Third grade-fifth grade
- Sixth grade-eighth grade
- Ninth grade-12th grade
The winners will read their pieces during the celebration and be presented with a $50 gift card.
All ages are invited and families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
For more information, contact the Special Events office at 954-392-2116 or visit www.ppines.com/specialevents.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 11:57 AM.
