The 40th annual to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is being curtailed due to very low temperatures and dangerous wind chill conditions.
“Dr. King would want you all to stay safe and with the National Weather Service predicting a windchill factor of -17 degrees from 7am-2pm we will be shortening the programs at City Park and canceling the Civic Center program/Vendors only!” Marade organizers said in a post made on Facebook.
Organizers have also asked that small children, seniors, those with medical conditions and pets not attend the event.
The start time of the opening ceremony has been pushed back a half hour to 10 a.m. at City Park, with the march down Colfax Avenue to Civic Center Park expected to begin on time at 10:45 a.m.
Closings ceremonies and a resource fair at Civic Center Park have been canceled, as well as the Dr. King Legacy Bike Ride.
The temperatures at City Park are expected to be around 4 degrees below zero at 10 a.m. when the celebration starts and wind speeds around 10 miles per hour, according to AccuWeather. That will result in a wind chill reading or “felt” temperature of 19 degrees below zero.
