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(1) Approval of a Venue for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration; and (2) Approval of the date and time for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
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Meeting Date: July 16, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Adam Ferguson/PRCS Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-mail) Meetings and Agendas - MLK Celebration and Juneteenth Advisory Committee (7/11/2025); (E-mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (7/11/2025)
Department Approval: Ted Stevens, PRCS Director (7/10/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee (1) approve a venue for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration; and (2) approve the date and time for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
BACKGROUND
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) is tasked with advising Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) staff with the planning of the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. With the timeline of the event being traditionally six months away, the staff has put together venue options for the Advisory Committee and is opening the discussion on a date for the event.
DISCUSSION
Venue Selection
Staff is recommending several locations that could be utilized for the event to the Advisory Committee. When considering the best location for the event, it is best to consider:
• The potential to engage the community effectively.
• The capacity of the venue.
• Public access to the event.
PRCS staff also considers the logistics of each option, including budget, staffing, and overall execution within available resources. PRCS staff may have to change the venue of choice due to availability, cost, booking needs, etc. In the event that the Advisory Committee wishes to host the event at a venue not operated by PRCS, the staff is requesting that a PRCS facility is also chosen as a backup.
Date and Time Selection
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is traditionally not held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is January 19, 2026. In the past, the reasoning has been to avoid conflicts with other events being held in Los Angeles County. In years past, the event has been held on the weekend before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or the weekend after the holiday. The length of the event has also differed from year to year. Some years offered a single day event with performances and other years spanned two days with a service project and programming. Past dates were:
• January 15-16, 2021
• January 15, 2022
• January 14, 2023
• January 20-21, 2024
• February 15, 2025 (Rescheduled from January 11, 2025 due to the fires in Los Angeles County)
The time of the event has also changed throughout the years. Some years focused on an afternoon event and other years scheduled the event in the morning. Staff is open to the Advisory Committee’s recommendation for the date and/or time of the event.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this discussion.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee:
1. Approve a venue for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration; and
2. Approve a date and time for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.