The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County is hosting its 45th annual MLK Celebration, honoring the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. This year's programming follows the theme, “Celebrating 45 Years of Resilience – Marching Toward the Dream.”

If you’d like to get involved + honor MLK’s message in the Asheville area, check out these local events from the association and other local orgs:

Saturday, Jan. 17

The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County's annual prayer breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Resort, featuring remarks from keynote speaker Mike Kelly, a business leader and civic advocate.

Sunday, Jan. 18

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County will host a candlelight service at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church. It honors people and organizations that are dedicated to social justice with gospel singer, historian, and educator Mary D. Williams joining as the keynote speaker.

Monday, Jan. 19

Spread the message of peace and justice with the Peace March + Rally hosted by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County. It begins with an 11:30 a.m. service at St. James A.M.E. Church followed by a peace march to Pack Square where the rally will be hosted.

Hood Huggers International is hosting a day of service from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get ready to get your hands dirty with gardening, greenhouse work, and trash pickup at the Burton Street Community Center and the South Asheville Cemetery.

Kenilworth Presbyterian Church's 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration begins at 5 p.m. with a potluck, followed by a screening of the film "Selma."

Volunteer

When Congress designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday in 1994, it was named a day of service and called a “day on, not a day off.” If you’d like to find more ways to serve the community, you can explore our guide to volunteer opportunities.