The Canisteo Valley will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 20 with a celebratory free event at the Broadway Mall Community Arts Center in Hornell.
MLK Jr. Day activities in Maple City will honor the legacy of the American civil rights leader on the date of the federal holiday with a focus on food security and dignity.
The Hornell Arts Center event will begin at 5 p.m. Enjoy live music and a “festive meal” of potato soup, okra, tomatoes and rice. Dessert is cake and ice cream.
The Broadway Mall Community Arts Center in Hornell will host a free Martin Luther King Jr. Day event on Jan. 20.
A community conversation will explore “Food Security & Dignity” and include participation by the Living Acres Organic Farm, the “Y” Community Garden, cooking classes and the Alfred University Wellness Center and the Fruit and Vegetable Garden at AU.
The Jan. 20 event in Hornell is organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Committee and all community members are invited to attend.
King’s birthday was approved as a federal holiday in 1983. Officially, King was born Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, but the holiday is observed every year on the third Monday in January.
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Public schools in New York state are closed on the holiday, as are many government offices.
King, who advocated change through non-violent actions, was assassinated at age 39 on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance at Hornell Community Arts Center