Boca Raton's free MLK Day celebration is Monday, Jan. 18, 2027; the city says details are to come. What the day looks like, what closes and how trash moves.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 18, 2027, and the City of Boca Raton will again hold a free celebration of Dr. King’s legacy. The city’s MLK Jr. Day page confirms the date and says “details to come.” This page will be updated when the city posts the 2027 schedule, usually in December or early January.

Last checked Nov. 12, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the City of Boca Raton’s MLK Jr. Day page, its 2025 celebration listing, its Jan. 18, 2027, holiday notice and its holiday sanitation schedule.

Who to call

  • Recreation Services (special events): 561-393-7810
  • City Hall: 561-393-7700
  • Official page: MLK Jr. Day

What is confirmed for 2027

  • Date: Monday, Jan. 18, 2027.
  • Cost: free and open to the public.
  • Organizer: the City of Boca Raton’s Recreation Services Department.
  • Times, speakers and the march route: not yet announced as of Nov. 12, 2026.

What the day has looked like

The city’s own 2025 listing shows the shape of the day. Expect a similar program in 2027, but check the times once the city posts them:

2025 time What Where
8 to 10 a.m. Community breakfast, sponsored by D.I.S.C. (Developing Interracial Social Change) Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 220 Ruby St.
10 a.m. Unity march with the Boca Raton Community High School band and color guard From the MLK Jr. Monument, 200 Ruby St., to the Mizner Park Amphitheater
10:30 a.m. Ceremony: keynote speaker, mayoral proclamation, community leader speeches, poetry, music and the Humanitarian Award Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real
11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free unity celebration: rides and games, a craft station, community booths, a photo booth, stage performances, food and drinks for sale Mizner Park Amphitheater

In 2025 the city offered trolley service for marchers who needed help. The march starts on Ruby Street in Pearl City, where the King monument stands beside Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

The city’s page thanks everyone who came to the 2026 celebration, held Monday, Jan. 19, 2026; its photos show the march, speeches on the amphitheater stage, an award presentation, food vendors and children’s rides.

What is open and closed on Jan. 18

The city’s holiday notice for MLK Day lists:

  • Closed: City Hall and city offices, the Downtown Library, the Spanish River Library and the Boca Raton Community Center.
  • Open, regular hours: all parks, beaches, beachfront parks and playgrounds.
  • Open, holiday hours: Sugar Sand Park Community Center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Swim & Racquet Center 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Boca Raton Tennis Center 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Sugar Sand Carousel 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and both city golf courses 7 a.m. to sunset.

Trash pickup MLK week

The city’s 2026-27 holiday sanitation schedule moves pickups one day:

Regular day Moves to
Monday, Jan. 18 Tuesday, Jan. 19
Tuesday, Jan. 19 Wednesday, Jan. 20

See our trash and recycling page for your regular day.

Parking and getting there

The march has ended at the Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real. Downtown parking decks and street parking are on our parking page, and FDOT’s work on Federal Highway is on our road construction and closures page.

Frequently asked questions

When is MLK Day 2027? Monday, Jan. 18, 2027; the city’s celebration is free.

What happens at the celebration? In 2025: a community breakfast, a unity march from Pearl City to Mizner Park, a ceremony and an afternoon unity celebration. The 2027 schedule is to come.

Is trash picked up? Monday pickups move to Tuesday, Jan. 19, and Tuesday pickups to Wednesday, Jan. 20.

What is closed? City offices, both city libraries and the Boca Raton Community Center. Parks and beaches are open.

What this means for you

  • Keep Monday, Jan. 18, free; the march has started at 10 a.m. in past years.
  • City libraries are closed that day; parks and beaches are open.
  • Put trash out a day late that week if you have Monday or Tuesday service.

Related: things to do this month, New Year’s Eve and history and landmarks.