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DeLand proclaims Jan. 20, 2025 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day; committee outlines 54th annual events
Summary
The City Commission received a proclamation and event schedule for the City of DeLand's 54th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Jan. 18–20, 2025, including a gala, concert, march from Stetson University and a festival in Earl Brown Park with a health fair coordinated by AdventHealth and the Volusia County Health Department.
The City of DeLand on Jan. 6 accepted a proclamation naming Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 as Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the city and heard details of the 54th annual local celebration.
Why it matters: the multi-day program brings community service, commemorative events and public gatherings downtown that require event planning, traffic management and community outreach.
What organizers presented
Pastor Darby, representing the MLK committee, told the commission the city’s 54th annual MLK celebration will run Jan. 18–20, 2025. Key events detailed by the committee:
- Jan. 18 — Gala and honoree banquet, 6 p.m., DeLand Sanborn Center. Tickets: $50 (banquet only).
- Jan. 19 — Fellowship service and concert, 4 p.m., City Sanctuary Church (pastor Mark Schrade’s church). National recording artist Lisa Page Brooks is the special guest.
- Jan. 20 — Annual march downtown: participants will gather near Stetson University (line up at 10:30 a.m.; march begins at 10:45 a.m.) and march through downtown to Earl Brown Park. The MLK Festival at Earl Brown Park will run 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. with food and product vendors, youth presentations, a 3-on-3 basketball event and a poster contest. Musical programming includes Trey Pearson (noted in the presentation as a five-time Grammy nominee/award recognition) and T Stones.
- Health fair: AdventHealth and the Volusia County Health Department will operate a health fair inside the Sanborn Center offering mental-health and dental screenings and other preventive services during the weekend events. Organizers said most festival activities are free; only the banquet requires a ticket.
Organizers provided outreach information and a web contact: delandmlk.com. Pastor Darby said the celebration has run continuously for more than five decades in DeLand and thanked city staff and volunteers for their work.
Proclamation
Mayor Christopher M. Clapman read and signed the proclamation declaring Jan. 20, 2025 as Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Day in the City of DeLand and urged residents to rededicate themselves to human-rights principles and community service.
Ending: Commissioners expressed appreciation for the committee’s volunteers and encouraged the community to attend the march and festival; staff will coordinate event logistics and public-safety planning for the multi-day schedule.
