The cold, wet weather did not stop the 20th annual MLK Holiday Peace Walk and Parade from marching on.
Instead of facing the freezing temperatures, marching bands, dance troops and other clubs performed inside the Entertainment & Sports Arena. Those performing lined up outside and marched a short distance through Southeast D.C. before entering the arena on Oak Dr in Congress Heights.
The move inside seemed to be a hit with those performing in the parade. Webster Phillips with the D.C. Warriors Drumline believes the parade should be permanently moved inside.
“This is the best. It’s warmer, it accommodates a lot more and we perform better,” Phillips said.
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He also said another benefit of the setup came after his team finished — instead of heading home, members could sit down and watch the other performances.
During the parade, Mayor Muriel Bowser was on stage chair dancing as the marching bands played for and paraded past the crowd. She told WTOP that she actually enjoyed the move inside.
“You can see all the participants… We like to go through the community, but I think we are getting to see a lot today, as well,” Bowser said.
Warming up before the parade, a drum major from Phelps High School in Northeast said it meant a lot that he and his friends were able to perform in the parade together.
“I’m forever blessed to be a part of this parade,” the 11th grader told WTOP
The event drew people of all ages, including Emma Ward, the Miss Senior DC who attended the original March on Washington in 1963. Ward was only two years out of high school when saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr deliver his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in person.
Since then, Ward has been to every MLK parade in the District and says it’s like reliving history.
“It means the present, the past and the future,” said Ward. “It encompasses all of it for me.”
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