Knoxville Gears Up for 2025 MLK Jr. Parade & Juneteenth Celebration – This Thursday!

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Knoxville Gears Up for 2025 MLK Jr. Parade & Juneteenth Celebration – This Thursday!

~ from the MLK Commemorative Commission

The MLK Commemorative Commission invites the community to gather in unity and celebration for the MLK Jr. Parade & Juneteenth Celebration happening Thursday, June 19, 2025.

This dynamic event honors Black freedom, resilience, and cultural pride with a morning parade followed by an afternoon festival in the heart of East Knoxville.

Event Schedule:

Parade Lineup: 8:30 AM at Chilhowee Park
Parade Step-Off: 10:00 AM
Juneteenth Celebration: 11:00 AM–3:00 PM at Dr. Walter Hardy Park
(2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Knoxville, TN)

This year’s parade already includes over 60 registered organizations, ranging from marching bands and dance teams to churches, nonprofits, and civic groups. Parade registration will remain open through Wednesday at www.mlkknoxville.com/parade.

A major highlight of this year’s parade is the Elite Striders Drill Team, a nationally recognized group from Lake County, Illinois. They bring precision, discipline, and show-stopping energy, having earned back-to-back world titles in 2023 and 2024.

Following the parade, the Juneteenth Celebration at Walter Hardy Park will feature:

Live entertainment & local performers
DJ & Boots on the Ground line dancing
Delicious food vendors
Retail & community vendors
Youth activities & crafts

Transportation:

KAT shuttle buses will operate from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM from:

Knoxville Family Justice Center (400 Harriet Tubman Street)
Tabernacle Baptist Church (2137 Martin Luther King Jr Ave)
To the Midway Entrance at Chilhowee Park.