More than 90 entries, including nearly a dozen college and high school marching bands, will be featured in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade through downtown Biloxi on Monday.
The parade, organized by the Biloxi branch of the NAACP and supported by the city of Biloxi, will begin at 11 a.m.
Among the bands represented will be Alcorn State University; Mississippi Valley State University; Biloxi High School; Provine and Lanier high schools and Siwell Middle School, all of Jackson; Moss Point High School; the All-Star Community Band from Augusta, Ga; a community band from Gulfport; and St. Mary’s High School from New Orleans.
A battle of the bands will take place at Yankie Stadium after the parade, around 12:30 p.m.
The parade will begin on Howard Avenue, proceed west on MLK Boulevard, north on Reynoir Street, east on Esters Boulevard, north on Main Street, and east on Division Street, turning in to Yankie Stadium.
Beck Park affair: Radio station 92.5 FM The Beat will host an MLK celebration on Monday at Beck Park from 2 to 5 p.m. Live music will be offered, along with free hot dogs and soft drinks. Mayor A.J. Holloway also is expected to welcome visitors, and 92.5 will broadcast between musical sets.
News and notes
Headed for a sellout: More than three-fourths of the seats have been sold for the annual State of the City address, which takes place Monday, Jan. 26 at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. All seats for the Biloxi Bay Chamber-sponsored presentation are expected to be sold within the next week. For ticket information, call 228-435-6149.
Hard freeze reminder: Residents are reminded that a hard freeze is expected this evening, with temperatures expected to dip into the lower to mid-20s from tonight until Friday morning. To see the notice from yesterday, click here.
Katrina sculpture work: Marlin Miller, the wood carver who has created the Katrina sculptures on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, will be in town Friday and through the weekend to continue working on his final scheduled sculpture, which is south of the Biloxi city cemetery. For background on Miller’s work in Biloxi, and to see photos and videos, click here.
Weekend preview: “Saltimbanco,” Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring show, continues its run through Sunday at the Coast Coliseum. For a look at all of the wekend’s events – including appearances by recording artist Travis Tritt at the Hard Rock, and comedian Frank Caliendo at the IP – click here.