How to Join Los Angeles' Martin Luther King Day Parade

The West Coast has a thriving and diverse community that lends itself well to Martin Luther King Day events such as Los Angeles' MLK parade. This city also hosts a wealth of hotel rooms, area attractions, warm weather and innumerable beaches that make a visit easy to organize at any time of the year, but perhaps especially appealing in January to those from colder climes.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water and snacks for the route
• Walking shoes
• Entry form

Enter Yourself or Group into the Parade

1. Call the parade organizer at [phone] to request an entry form. When you receive the form in the mail, fill it out and return it with the appropriate fee. Plan to enter the parade well before January to ensure a place in the event. Since this is an annual event, you can register up to a year in advance. It's a popular event, so don't wait too long to join and get your group approved.

2. Arrive at the parade's starting point at least an hour prior to kick off and join other participants as you are organized and directed to your starting place.

Head to the Parade

3. Make your way to Crenshaw and Western Avenues in Los Angeles to kick off Los Angeles' Martin Luther King Day parade.

4. Join other revelers as they prepare to march through this predominantly African-American neighborhood.

5. Remember that this parade has been happening for more than 20 years. Introduce yourself to other participants and find out if they have made a tradition of participating in the parade.

Tips & Warnings

• Los Angeles' Martin Luther King Day parade is also called the "Kingdom Day" parade, so don't be confused if you hear the two terms used interchangeably.
• The parade route is not close to downtown or beach attractions, so you'll want to rent a car for the event if you are flying into Los Angeles. Remember that Los Angeles' traffic is famed for going nowhere and although Martin Luther King Day is a holiday for many people, the freeways can still come to a dead stop. Allow yourself plenty of time to make it to the parade.