CHICAGO — The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement returns to Chicago this weekend as the city gathers to honor the life, vision and enduring legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Beyond just a day off (for some, including CPS), MLK Day serves as a powerful “day on” — a time to reflect on the civil rights leader’s deep connection to our city and to recommit to the work of justice, equity and community building.
From the vibrant corridors of Bronzeville to the historic blocks of the West Side where King once lived, Chicagoans are marking the occasion with an inspiring lineup of live performances, thought-provoking panel discussions and immersive art exhibitions.
Whether you’re looking to roll up your sleeves for a community service project, explore museum galleries with your family or attend a soul-stirring musical tribute, there are myriad ways to celebrate the man who taught that “the time is always right to do what is right.”
We’ve rounded up top events across the city to help you participate in this holiday weekend — including plenty of activities for kids while CPS is out of session Monday.
Know of an event we should add to this list? Let us know at arts@blockclubchi.org.
Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., in Washington Heights on March 6, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Open Mic and Poetry Contest: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.
4-6 p.m. Thursday
Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St.
Teens and tweens ages 10-19 are invited to express their feelings through original raps, poems, songs and speeches. The event celebrates King by centering on the African American experience and the voices of BIPOC individuals. More info is here.
4:30 p.m. Thursday
Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, 5416 S. Cornell Ave., 4th floor
The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago invites the community to a reflective event centered on the theme “What Now?” through a program of praise services, including a choir performance, student readings and a panel discussion. The gathering focuses on King’s call to “keep moving forward,” encouraging attendees to address modern community challenges with a renewed sense of hope and actionable commitment. More info here.
Various locations
Building on King’s legacy, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and PUSH for Excellence are hosting a comprehensive weekend of events for 2026 centered around the theme: “Building a Beloved Community.” This multi-day commemoration invites Chicagoans to move beyond reflection and into action, addressing modern challenges like economic inequality and racial injustice through service and unity. Activities range from a day of service at PUSH headquarters to the annual King breakfast at the Fairmont Hotel Monday. Register for events on Eventbrite; more information is on the Rainbow PUSH Coalition website.
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday
Grace & Peace Church, 1856 N. LeClaire Ave.
The Institute for Nonviolence Chicago celebrates a decade of neighborhood transformation by honoring King’s legacy with special guests Ernest Crim III and Trymaine Lee. The event features a screening of the short film “Choose Peace,” a community lunch and an interactive “Letters of Courage” service experience rooted in the principle of nonviolence as an active way of life. RSVP for this free event here.
2-3 p.m. Saturday
Brainerd Library, 1350 W. 89th St.
Children ages 6-13 are invited to celebrate King’s legacy through an educational session on historical facts, followed by a themed craft project. This early celebration provides a creative space for young learners to honor King’s impact on history. More info here.
The outside of the Art Institute Downtown on South Michigan Avenue. Credit: The Art Institute of Chicago Instagram
MLK Day at The Art Institute: Free Family Art-Making and Gallery Tours
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday
The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
The Art Institute features a day of family-friendly art-making, stories and songs inspired by King’s “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” speech. Activities include gallery tours, teen-specific paper-technique workshops in Studio B and sessions led by teaching artists from ¡Anímate! Studio and the Old Town School of Folk Music. More info here.
A great blue heron at Eggers Grove. Credit: Provided/Facebook
MLK Day of Service and Brush Pile Burn
10 a.m.-noon Saturday: Caldwell Woods Wellness Center, 6350 W. Devon Ave.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday: Eggers Grove, E. 112th St. & S. Ave. E
The Forest Preserves of Cook County invites residents to a day of service, featuring ecological projects that connect King’s vision of community with the preservation of our shared natural world. The Caldwell Woods event focuses on litter cleanup, while attendees at the brush pile burn at Eggers Grove will learn how to keep the forest healthy and remove invasive plant species, with s’mores provided. Caldwell Woods info here; Eggers Grove info here.
Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to Old Town Gardens apartments rent strikers and members of the Tenants Action Council at Olivet Community Center, Chicago. Credit: ST-17600272, Chicago Sun-Times Collection, Chicago History Museum
Commemorative Day at Chicago History Museum
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday
Chicago History Museum, 1614 N. Clark St.
Discover how to turn inspiration into action at this family celebration where you can participate in craft workshops and learn ways to give back to your community.
Entry to the museum is free for Illinois residents on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. More info here.
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center on Aug. 15, 2023. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Place
Held at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, this Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service invites the public to donate new wraps, such as coats, hats and blankets, for young people in need. The day will also be filled with performances including Ayodele Drum and Dance, Kuumba Soul from the Betty Shabazz International Charter School, “I Have a Dream: A Kings’ Journey” performed by Marcus Gentry and a screening of the movie “Selma.” More info here.
Storyteller Amari Amai will appear at the Hyde Park Art Center’s MLK Day celebration. Credit: Provided/colectivo_multipolar
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave.
The Hyde Park Art Center is hosting “MLK Day 2026: Chaos or Community,” a free public celebration that explores art as a tool for resistance and collective liberation. Inspired by King’s final book, “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”, the event features a diverse lineup including guided meditation, screen-printing with Malika Jackson and an interdisciplinary performance by Amari Amai reflecting on the 1968 West Side riots. Attendees can also participate in an Afrofuturist listening party centered on King’s late writings or attend a documentary workshop focused on the human experience of those impacted by the criminal legal system. Registration is recommended for this all-ages program, which aims to transform King’s radical vision into a day of communal reflection and creative action. More info here.
Chicago Sinfonietta’s Annual MLK Tribute Concert
4 p.m. Monday
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive
This year’s tribute concert honors the groundbreaking legacy of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, the Black Chicago surgeon who performed the nation’s first successful open-heart surgery. The program features the world premiere of Kathryn Bostic’s “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” and a moving cello elegy for Breonna Taylor, concluding with Dvořák’s “From the New World” Symphony. This performance highlights how opening hearts is both a medical miracle and a vital social mission. Tickets are $30-$60. More info here.
Participants at a previous Black Creativity Family Day at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Credit: Steven Koch/Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Black Creativity Family Day at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
This annual Black Creativity exhibit highlights African American innovation across art, science and technology. For Family Day, visitors can join an immersive community experience that blends art with sound, creating unique pieces inspired by music to be featured in a collaborative art installation. Tickets are $25.95 for adults and $14.95 for children. More info here.
Rise of Freedom Family Variety Show at the Beverly Arts Center
3-4:30 p.m. Monday
Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St.
The Beverly Arts Center hosts a community-centered variety show featuring songs, skits and artistic innovations based on the theme of freedom. Community members and children are encouraged to submit their own acts for a chance to perform in this celebration of liberty. Admission is free for children, with a suggested donation of $20 for adults. More info here.
The Beverly Arts Center is also hosting a performance of “The Mountaintop” Thursday through Sunday. The drama from playwright Katori Hall, who went on to receive a Tony nomination and win a Pulitzer for later works, takes its name from King’s legendary “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, delivered in Memphis the night before he was assassinated. More information on that performance here.
6 p.m. Saturday
Manifest Studios Gallery, 2755 W. 63rd St.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement, this collaborative art exhibition features works by prominent artists like Sonja Henderson and Max Sansing that explore justice and collective responsibility. While the opening reception is sold out, tickets are still available for an exhibition viewing at 6 p.m. More info here.
The Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier will hold a day of activities on the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Credit: Provided/Chicago Children’s Museum
MLK JR. Day at the Chicago Children’s Museum
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday
Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.
The Chicago Children’s Museum honors King’s legacy with family-focused activities, including a story lounge featuring books on the Civil Rights Movement and resources for discussing race with children. Visitors ages 3 and up can join local artist Derek Moore in the Art Studio to create “mini-zines” focused on messages of hope and action, or access digital storytelling resources online to reflect on the contributions of civil rights icons. More info here.
MLK Day Glow Carnival – Character Bash
5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park & Family Entertainment Center, 1219 W. 76th St.
Celebrate King’s legacy at one of the city’s biggest family parties featuring “glow vibes,” music and a full carnival atmosphere. The event includes face painting, games, raffles and cupcakes alongside skating and bowling activities. Admission is $16 per activity, and early ticket purchase is highly recommended as the event is expected to sell out. More info here.
Legendary Chicago bluesman Bill Broonzy was also known for his folk protest music. Credit: Old Town School of Folk Music Resource Center
4-7 p.m. Tuesday
Uptown Library, 929 W. Buena Ave.
Teens and tweens ages 10-19 are invited to honor King’s legacy by diving into the Chicago Public Library online archives. Participants will explore historical records while listening to the rhythm and blues music that defined the civil rights era. More info here.
Students with the Uniting Voices Chicago choir. Credit: Provided/Uniting Voices Chicago Kyle Flubacker
The University of Chicago: 36th Annual MLK Commemoration Celebration
6 p.m. Jan. 28
The University of Chicago Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.
An evening of reflection and music at the historic site of one of King’s first major speeches in Chicago. The 2026 event features keynote speaker Jacqueline Stewart, a renowned film scholar and founder of the South Side Home Movie Project, as well as a musical performance by the youth choir Uniting Voices Chicago. More info here.
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