Tampa and St. Pete will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with parades on Monday. Here’s what to expect for parking and road closures.

TAMPA, Fla. — This holiday weekend, Tampa and St. Pete will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Both cities will honor MLK with parades on Jan. 19.

Whether you plan to join in the festivities or just enjoy a day off, we’ve got you covered with road closures and traffic impacts across the Bay Area.


Tampa MLK Day road closures

The city of Tampa’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade begins at noon Monday, celebrating the “enduring legacy, spirit and vision” of Dr. King.

Starting at E. 21st Avenue and N. 15th Street,  the parade travels through the heart of East Tampa and ends at N. 22nd Street and E. Osborne Avenue.

Drivers should be aware of the following road closures from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

N. 15th Street between E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and E. 17th AvenueN. Avenue Republica De Cuba /N. 14th Street between E. 21st Avenue and E. 17th AvenueE. 21st Avenue between N. 11th Street and N. 21st StreetE. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard between N. Nebraska Avenue and N. 22nd StreetN. 22nd Street between E. Hillsborough Avenue and E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

For more information, visit the event website.


St. Petersburg MLK Day road closures

The city of St. Pete and Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival Inc. will honor Dr. King with the 39th Annual St. Pete MLK Parade – The Power of A Dream.

The parade starts at 11 a.m. and travels East to West on First Avenue S.

Featuring floats, marching bands and cultural performances, it’s one of the nation’s longest-running MLK parades.

Drivers should be aware of the following road closures beginning at 8 a.m.:

Central Avenue, from Bayshore Drive to Beach Drive1st Avenue S, from 3rd Street S to Bayshore Drive SE (3rd Street will remain open until approximately 10:30 a.m.)Bayshore Drive SE, from Central Avenue to 5th Avenue S1st Street from 1st Avenue S to 4th Avenue S (North and South bound traffic on 1st St. will be open for PSTA buses only)

Additional road closures beginning at 10:30 a.m. include:

1st Avenue S, from 3rd Street S to 16th Street S (parade route)16th Street S, from Central Avenue to 5th Avenue S (drop off route)1st Avenue S, from 16th Street S to 20th Street S (parade dispersal area)3rd Avenure S, from 16th Street S to 19th Street S (parade dispersal area)

Some SunRunner stations will also be closed, beginning at 7:30 a.m.:

13th Street S (Tropicana Field)8th Street S5th Street S4th Street S6th Avenue S (University of South Florida)3rd Street S 

For the abovementioned stops, the SunRunner will depart from the 22nd Street S Station, travel down Central Avenue, and resume service at the 1st Street N Station. The 1st St. N Station will remain open for the day of the parade.

The parade route is accessible for people with disabilities, and special viewing areas will be designated.

The city recommends leaving early to account for traffic and finding a parking location ahead of time. Downtown parking locations can be found on the city’s website.

Free parking will be available at Tropicana Field for parade attendees. Note that access to Lot 5 will not be allowed once the bicycle racks are in place, around 9 a.m.

You can also take advantage of the SunRunner and PSTA services, keeping in mind the SunRunner closures mentioned above.

The city also recommends using ride share, bike, or scooter share services.

For more information, visit the parade website.