MLK Day 2024: Spend your day off reflecting, volunteering or celebrating at these events

So you have the day off work or school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday − what do you do with yourself or the kids?

Whether you spend the day reflecting or volunteering, many organizations host events throughout Ohio. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, encouraging people to improve their communities in honor of the civil rights leader, so expect many organizations to offer service opportunities.

Read on for celebrations, special events and volunteer opportunities centered around the holiday.

City of Columbus

The city will hold a march in King’s honor from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on MLK Day. The march starts at Lincoln Theater, where a program will be held after the march.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration online is encouraged.

Ohio History Center

The Ohio History Center and the King Arts Complex in Columbus will hold an annual open house from noon to 4 p.m. on MLK Day. The event will feature musical and theatrical performances, art activities and an art exhibition.

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University will hold an MLK Jr. Day of Service to honor King. Student organization Pay it Forward is arranging 2-3 hour community service opportunities on MLK Day with nonprofits involved in mental health advocacy, food access, child welfare and homelessness support.

Participants should report to the Ohio Union on campus by 8:30 a.m. to receive work assignments. Transportation to off-campus sites is provided.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati will hold “a morning of music, reflection and a call to action” on MLK Day. Doors will open at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast served until 8:30 a.m. when the program begins. Tickets can be purchased online and are $50 for in-person attendance and $25 for a virtual livestream of the event.

Holy Rosary St. John Church

From noon to 1:30 p.m. on MLK Day, Holy Rosary and St. John the Evangelist Church in Columbus will hold its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration. Dr. Andre Brown, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in the College of Arts and Science at The Ohio State University, will speak. Brown is a scholar of historically Black Grek letter organizations and the impact of college on Black male students.

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art will host a free celebration of King from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on MLK Day, featuring music and art activities.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will offer free admission virtually and in-person to a celebration of King’s Life and Legacy. Tickets must be reserved online.

Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition

The Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition in Cincinnati will hold its 49th annual freedom march at the Freedom Center at 10:30 a.m. on MLK Day, followed by a community celebration at noon. The event is free and open to the public in person and online.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets will host a celebration of diversity and inclusion at a 1 p.m. MLK Day game against the Vancouver Canuks. The National Hockey League’s traveling United By Hockey museum will be present for free viewing outside the Nationwide Arena, and the Blue Jackets will highlight diversity in hockey among local hockey organizations.

Capital University

Capital University will hold its 33^rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. day of learning. The event will include two keynote speakers, a lunch, and workshops on topics such as social justice in education, the black church’s impact on voting rights and youth homelessness.

The event will feature speeches from Ohio youth who took first place in the Statewide MLK Oratorical Contest, entertainment will be provided by the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center Show Choir, and the commission will present the 2023 MLK Awards that honor Ohioans for their efforts to advance nonviolent social change.

Westerville Area Resource Ministry

From 1-3 p.m., volunteers will fill bags with health food for distribution at the Westerville Area Resource Ministry. Volunteers can sign up online.

Gahanna Community Congregational Church

On Saturday, Jan. 13, volunteers will make improvements to a community greenhouse in Gahanna. More details are available on the event page on Facebook.

Adventure Crew

Adventure Crew and Northside Greenspace Inc. will remove invasive species of plants at ButterCup Valley Preserve in Cincinnati on Jan. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gardening supplies will be provided; Greenspace only asks that volunteers show up hydrated and energized. Sign up at VolunteerMatch.

National Veterans Memorial and Museum

The National Veteran's Memorial and Museum is open for MLK Day with $1 admission. Guests can learn about eight African American Veterans and their connections to the civil rights movement, participate in a learning activity using real flight computers and explore the new Lost Man Blues: Jon Schueler — Art and War exhibition with a hands-on navigation activity. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLK Day 2024 events: Celebrate, volunteer or reflect around Ohio