BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is observed on the third Monday of January each year.
In the Lehigh Valley, there are events and volunteer opportunities to commemorate Dr. King, with MLK Day being the only federal holiday also designated by Congress as a national day of service.
The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley has featured volunteer opportunities and ideas for MLK Day available on its website.
The legacy of Dr. King also will be celebrated through various events.
Sunday, Jan. 15:
At Allentown Art Museum on Sunday, Jan. 15, there will be a day of free family activities focused on Dr. King’s “How Long? Not Long” speech and the works presented in the exhibition Alteronce Gumby: Dark Matter. There will be music, storytelling, and art making as part of the day's events.
Monday, Jan. 16:
- At 10 a.m. the NAACP Bethlehem will hold a Dr. Martin Luther King holiday celebration at Holy Ghost Church, 417 Carlton Ave.
- At 11 a.m., the Allentown Branch of the NAACP will hold its annual "Tribute to Dr. King" at St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, at 410 Union Street.
At SteelStacks in Bethlehem, there will be an MLK Jr. Cinema Tribute Event. It will include three free film screenings, beginning at noon in the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas inside the ArtsQuest Center.
The documentary films being shown include "King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis" at noon, 1972's "Nationtime" at 4 p.m., and "Selma" at 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at steelstacks.org/films-special-screenings or by clicking here.
In addition to those screenings, Dr. Karen Britt, professor of Business and Economics at Northampton Community College and president of Juneteenth Lehigh Valley, will lead a special discussion about Dr. King’s legacy and how it applies to today's society at 3:15 p.m. The discussion is free to ticketholders of any of the three films being shown.
- Also at noon, The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum will present "The Enduring Ideals & Legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr." The cost is $8; $3 ages 2-11; free for members at the museum at 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown.
- In Allentown, a candlelight vigil will take place at 6 p.m. at the Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King Memorial, South 4th Street and Martin Luther King Drive.
- In Nazareth, the "Let Us Build Bridges" exhibit honoring Dr. King will be on display through Feb. 12 at the Nazareth Center for the Arts, 30 Belvidere St.
