Martin Luther King Jr Day Celebration
On Monday January 16, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm, the Town of Ridgefield will present the 27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, honoring the legacy of the great civil rights leader with an awards ceremony, speakers and performances. The Spirit of Dr. King Community Service Award is presented each year to a member of our town who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to community service and selflessness in the finest traditions of Dr. Martin Luther King. This annual tradition honors the memory of Dr. King and celebrates how that memory lives on in the good works of Ridgefielders today. This year’s ceremony honors Wendy Lionetti, who has served the community of Ridgefield – both officially and unofficially – for nearly 20 years, in the Town Assessor’s office, the First Selectman’s office and now as Town Clerk. Wendy volunteers her time and service to several community activities and organizations, including SPHERE, where she launched SPHERE-It Creations several years ago and holds weekly jewelry-making workshops with SPHERE members. The 27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration will take place on Monday, January 16 at 3pm at The Ridgefield Playhouse.
Over the years, the town’s MLK Jr. Day celebration has changed and grown – from standing on the steps outside of the Community Center, to becoming a larger event in the basement of Town Hall, to becoming even more celebratory when moved to The Ridgefield Playhouse in 2013. The words of Martin Luther King Jr. have been reiterated and celebrated year after year. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968, but it wasn’t until 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names, or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
This year’s event will feature Rudy Marconi, Mark Robinson, SPHERE, The Ridgefield Chorale, Ridgefield’s Poet Laureate Barb Jennes, Kimberly Wilson, and many more.
View the lineup of events here.