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MLK Festival Gets A Bigger Venue

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By RAY REYES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

PLANT CITY - To ensure that a broader audience can take part in the festivities, the promoters of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Arts Festival have booked a bigger venue in 2008.

After 22 years, most of the festival will move from the recreation center that bears the civil rights pioneer's name to the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex, 1810 E. Park Road.

"It was a perfect fit," said William Thomas Jr., spokesman for the Improvement League of Plant City, the organization hosting the event Jan. 18 to 20. "It seems like a good move."

The four-plex, adjacent to Plant City Stadium about 2 1/2 miles south of Interstate 4, will be able to accommodate larger crowds and a full-scale carnival with a midway and thrill rides, Thomas said.

"We never really thought about changing the venue," Thomas said, "but we've outgrown the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation center."

Officials from the recreation and parks department suggested the change of venue to the four-plex, Thomas said.

Organizers expect about 20,000 to attend the festival. The 2008 theme is "Courage to Live the Dream."

"We encourage everybody to come out and acknowledge this holiday," Thomas said.

"We're talking about Dr. King's dream," which is a dream for people of all backgrounds, Thomas said.

Although the four-plex will host a carnival, concerts and other live entertainment, additional events will be held at the recreation center and near the historical downtown district.

The tentative schedule includes:

•Opening ceremonies are at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 18 at the recreation center, 1601 E. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd. The annual senior citizens luncheon follows at 12:30 p.m., also at the recreation center.

•A step show competition featuring high school teams throughout Florida starts at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Marshall Middle School, 18 S. Maryland Ave. Admission is $10.

•The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade runs from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Jan. 19. The 1.2-mile route starts at the west end of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Fred's Market Restaurant, goes east through downtown and ends at the recreation center.

•The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 20 in the Red Rose Ballroom at the Red Rose Inn and Suites, 2011 N. Wheeler St. Guest speaker will be John Dicks, former mayor and founder of the John Dicks Foundation, which partners with the Improvement League to award college scholarships each year. Dicks, who is running for Congress, will be the first nonblack to be the featured speaker at the leadership breakfast, Thomas said.

•The carnival and midway at the four-plex will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Jan. 19, and from noon to 9 p.m. Jan. 20. There is no entry fee, Thomas said, but the prices for rides and concessions have yet to be determined.

For information, call the Improvement League of Plant City at (813) 757-6760 or go to www.plantcitymlkfestival .com.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 865-4433 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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