The Marade will return to Denver on MLK Day, Monday, January 20. The annual celebration begins in City Park at King's "I Have a Dream" memorial statue, then continues down East Colfax Avenue to Civic Center Park for performances and festivities. Participants make the 2.5-mile journey alongside marching bands and dance groups, some while presenting their own political chants or posters.
“The Marade means to march and to parade. It's a demonstration and a celebration," says Christian Steward, co-chair of the Marade. "People have messages to carry, and we want to be a platform for them to do that."
Denver has hosted the Marade since 1986, after Colorado adopted MLK Day as a state holiday in 1984.
Black state legislators fought for the holiday for years, introducing eight bills in the Colorado Legislature to recognize MLK Day since the early 1970s. The proposal was rejected seven times before Representative Wilma Webb's 1984 bill was finally passed.
Today, Denver's Marade is one of the largest MLK Day celebrations in the country. More than 92,000 people participated in the event in 2023, according to organizers. Last year, even as the city suffered temperatures as low as -11 degrees, a thousand people still turned out to march for King.
Cold Weather Expected at 2025 Denver Marade
With an arctic cold front on the way to Colorado, this year's Marade won't be stopped by bad weather, either. Steward says the event will go on no matter what, with organizers planning to set up a warming station along the parade route.“We’ve never let the cold stop us," Steward says. "If you’ve ever believed in any mission, vision, country or idea, the weather shouldn’t stop you. We have strength in numbers, we have unity. Democracy is something that is continuous, and it doesn’t take off because it’s cold.”
The ongoing bus lane construction on East Colfax Avenue won't disrupt the festivities, either. Volunteers will be stationed to keep marchers away from the Bus Rapid Transit excavation sites, in addition to Denver police officers posted on every corner to monitor traffic and enforce road closures.
The theme of this year's Marade is "Make Real the Promises of Democracy," a quote pulled from King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech.
"We thought we should start having conversations about how you make real the promises of democracy," Steward says. "It has to go beyond just voting. How do you continue to show up, maybe even when your candidate is not being elected? What level of participation should we all have? These promises don't come without some effort."
The Marade (and MLK Day) fall on the same day as the second inauguration of President Donald Trump — the first time the holiday and presidential inauguration have coincided in 28 years. Steward says the Marade's democracy theme is not related to the inauguration or the election, as the theme was chosen back in August.
"I think it’s fitting, though," he adds.
Denver Marade Time, Route and Details
The opening ceremony for the Marade will start at City Park at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 20, and include a performance of the Black National Anthem and speeches and appearances by Wilma Webb, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, U.S. representatives Joe Neguse and Jason Crow, and Colorado Senate President James Coleman.Participants will begin marching at 11:15 a.m., taking City Park Esplanade to East Colfax Avenue. A warming station will be available at Carla Madison Rec Center, off Josephine Street.
The march ends at Civic Center Park, where the MLK Early College drum line and Colorado CommUNITY Elite Drill Team will perform as attendees arrive. Closing ceremonies feature C2 Mass Choir singing "Lift Up Your Voices," Hope City Church of Colorado reciting King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and the co-chairs of the Marade reading a poem titled "Make Real the Promises of Democracy."
Food trucks, vendors and community service projects will also be present at the closing ceremony. The Struggle of Love Foundation and Denver Rescue Mission will give away clothing, blankets, coats and hygiene products; Primo Water will hand out water bottles; and Stevinson Automotive will hand out emergency kits.
Alert: Because of the weather, a bike ride that had been slated to follow the ceremony at Civic Center has been canceled, and that closing ceremony has been shortened; the schedule is subject to other changes. Read about other MLK Day gatherings in our weekend events roundup.
