Local nonprofit will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a two-day festival and block party

The Baton Rouge community will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a festival packed with service, creativity and connection. 

The Walls Project, a nonprofit organization that leads community events to break societal walls that may prevent people from living safe, healthy and prosperous lives, will host MLK Fest Saturday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 19, beginning at 9 a.m. on 400 Gus Young Ave.

The project aims to reimagine what community investment looks like, says Dr. Ashlyn Rae Harrison, the executive director of Louisiana’s chapter of The Walls Project. Its mission is to create equity and access using art, education and workforce development. The team has events throughout each year that focus on long-term community transformation, including MLK Fest.

“The festival isn’t just about cleaning up, it’s about intergenerational collaborative spaces that are ultimately going to be shifting the conversations for years to come,” Harrison says.

Volunteers will guide different work projects such as refreshing elder homes with painting, landscaping and curb appeal improvements spanning 800 acres of land across the Gus Young Corridor neighborhoods. Blight and litter cleanup, placemaking murals and even art installations made from reclaimed yard signs are a few of the work projects at the event, with every improvement made possible through partnerships with Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, EnvisionBR, Habitat for Humanity and many more.

“All of these people have come together, not just in donations, but also in support for the project,” Harrison says.

The second half of the festival will include a resource fair and block party from noon to 3 p.m. on Monday at Park Medical Elementary School, after the morning service projects. This family-friendly party is open to the public and will feature live entertainment, guest speakers, a community resource fair, craft vendors, food trucks, facilitated conversations on racial healing and kid zone activities.

“We talk to the neighbors, we talk to the elders, we talk to the artists, we talk to the youth that are in that area, small businesses and families,” Harrison says. “Everybody’s showing up, not just attending, but building, serving and leading together. That really does transform this event from a moment to a movement.”

For more information on MLK Fest or to register, visit The Walls Project’s website.