Jacksonville City Council Member Tyrona Clark-Murray waves to the crowd at the 43rd Martin Luther King Jr. Grand Parade in Downtown Jacksonville on Jan. 15, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on January 17, 2025 at 5:08 pm
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The 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Grand Parade on Monday has been postponed due to cold weather predicted in Jacksonville.
Organizers with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation say the MLK parade will now take place Feb. 1.
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The National Weather Service in Jacksonville forecasts “dangerously cold” temperatures next week as Arctic air plunges into the area. A hard freeze is possible overnight Sunday in parts of Northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Wind chills could drop into the 20s.
City officials said forecasters expect 1 to 2 inches of rain Saturday and Sunday and possibly icy roads Sunday evening and Monday morning. Temperatures are expected in the 30s on Monday morning.
Postponing the parade will ensure the safety of students, churches and others who annually march from EverBank Stadium to the Prime Osborn Convention Center, city officials said.
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Parade organizers said they are notifying everyone who was scheduled to participate in the parade.
The city has again activated its cold weather plan, including a shelter at the Legends Center on Soutel Drive on the Northside from 9 p.m. Sunday through 9 a.m. Monday.
From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, the Main Library on North Laura Street will become a city warming center. The Legends center will reopen Monday night as well.
JTA buses will transport people to the Legends Center, which will be staffed and have water available, but residents should bring an air mattress, blankets or other bedding, plus snacks and medication.
These shelters also provide cold-weather services: the City Rescue Mission on West State Street; Mission House on 11th Avenue North in Jacksonville Beach; and Trinity Rescue Mission on West Union Street.
The Sulzbacher Center is open on East Adams Street for men and Springfield Boulevard for women and children.
