Dallas MLK Day parade will go on Saturday despite cold temperatures in the forecast
DALLAS - After the extreme cold and wintry mix forced organizers to postpone the Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade from MLK Day to Saturday, the outlook for temperatures on Saturday is not much better.
When the parade begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, the temperature is forecast to be well below freezing, at 23 degrees.
It’s better than this past Monday’s forecast, but not by much.
Organizers said this year's parade to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will go on despite bitterly cold temperatures in the forecast.
Rhea Baker said the sun will be out and it will still be better than it was on MLK Day, when a thin coat of snow and icy patches were on the roads.
"The high was 15 degrees [on MLK Day], very windy," Baker said.
[REPORTER: "So how will the weather this Saturday feel compared to Monday's forecast?"]
"Little bit better, not much, but a little bit better. High of 39 degrees," Baker said. "Comfortable enough for us to be able to execute parade the right way."
Several MLK Day parades rescheduled due to weather
Dallas, Fort Worth and Grand Prairie have decided to reschedule Monday's MLK parades due to the snow and freezing temperatures.
Baker said his phone has been busy fielding questions about if the parade will still go on.
"We're trying to get everyone to understand that there will be an MLK parade this Saturday at 9 a.m. from the Fair Park at Gate 6, which is the MLK, and we're going to go backwards," Baker said. "So we're going to take it from MLK westbound, coming around the Pennsylvania eastbound, back into the Fair Park."
With the parade going forward, Baker still wants people to put safety first.
"If you're going to come out in the weather, please dress with layers," Baker said. "Don't have to stay the entire time. Stay as long as you can handle."
The MLK parade has been a tradition in Dallas since 1982.
Baker said for most of the 42 years, the weather has been mild.
"The meaning behind this parade is, of course, always to celebrate the life and legacy and the work of Dr. Martin King Jr. It's about education. It's about service a day on, not a day off," Baker explained.
There will be about 250 band and dance participants from elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as elected leaders and businesses.
"I look forward to seeing children come out and perform. They practice all year in their performances," Baker said.
Click here for a map of the parade route.