Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) marks the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is observed on the third Monday in January each year, although his actual birthday is Jan. 15, 1929. Honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this upcoming MLK Day on Jan. 19, 2025, by attending an event or participating in a day of service.
Observed as a National Day of Service, MLK Day is an opportunity for people to volunteer to improve their communities. Learn more about the MLK Day of Service on their website, where you can also search for volunteer opportunities or register your project. United Way and Volunteer Match also have additional resources and opportunities to make it a “day on, not a day off.”
Browse the list of observations and commemorative events in and around Oakland County below.
Make sure to verify registration, hours and locations before you head out. Updated 1/5/26.
In-Person Events in Oakland County
Auburn Hills
Jan. 19: MLK Day Celebration
Farmington/ Farmington Hills
Jan. 18: “Selma, Lord, Selma” Film Screening at the Farmington Community Library
Jan. 19: MLK Celebration Movie Talks: Selma (Ages 18+)
Jan. 19: MLK Day: Sign-making, MLK Day: Legacy March, MLK Celebration: FPS Dance Company, and MLK Celebration: Small Business Owners Panel – What is Your Dream?, at the Farmington Community Library
Milford
Jan. 12: MLK Day Film Appreciation Night at Milford Independent Cinema
Jan. 17: Envisioning A Just Future: Lessons from the Civil Rights Era at the Milford Public Library
Jan. 18: March on Main Street
Jan. 19: Meal Assembly Event
Novi
Jan. 15: MLK Day Unity Dinner at the Novi Public Library
Oak Park
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Keeper of the Promise Celebration at Oak Park High School
Rochester/Rochester Hills
Jan. 12-19: Warm Your Heart Food Drive at the Rochester Hills Public Library
Jan. 19: Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards Celebration
Royal Oak, Berkley and Clawson
Jan. 19: Berkeley MLK Breakfast Celebration
Jan. 19: MLK Service Day at Clawson High School
Southfield
Jan 19: 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Peace Walk at Hope United Methodist Church
Troy
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at Athens High School
Walled Lake
Jan. 19: 27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Walled Lake Northern High School
West Bloomfield
Jan. 18: United We Walk Annual Event at West Bloomfield Middle School
In-Person Events in Metro Detroit
Jan 15: Let Freedom Ring at the Fox Theatre
Jan. 16: “Women of the Movement: Then and Now” A Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Wayne State University
Jan. 17-19: Free Admission to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Jan. 19: Collage Portraits: MLK Day and Community Sing Along: Songs of Civil Rights at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Jan. 19: Annual Detroit MLK Day Rally & March at St. Matthew’s-St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church
Jan. 19: Unbowed and Unbroken: The Enduring Struggle for Justice at the University of Michigan
Jan. 19: MLK Day Celebration at the Charles H. Wright Museum
Jan. 19-23: MLK Celebration 2024 (multiple events) at Eastern Michigan University
Virtual Events
Jan. 15: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation presented by Oakland Community College
Do you know of any more MLK celebrations in the Oakland County area? Email socialmedia@oakgov.com or leave a comment below.
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