ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The celebration could be heard near and far, drawing hundreds of people to downtown St. Pete for this year’s MLK parade.
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It’s a staple of the community that Chris Flowers has gone to all his life.
“I’ve been coming to this parade for probably about 45, 50 years,” said Flowers.
The atmosphere was lively and energetic, fit for families and people of all ages, meant to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
Organizers said since its start in 1985, the MLK parade has drawn an estimated 2.5 million spectators to the streets of St. Pete, which they said makes it one of the largest and longest running MLK Day parades in the country.
“Very jubilant,” said Gladys, who attended the parade. "Everybody seems to be getting into it, and the cold doesn’t seem to be bothering them.”
“I love the camaraderie of everyone coming together celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King in a peaceful manner,” said Flowers.
The parade had a little bit of everything, from floats to bands.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Mary O’Connell asked people what the celebration truly meant to them.
“I think people, number one, getting together and remembering him as a group of people, as a community, all over the United States,” said Gladys.
“Celebration is that what he stood for, with freedom and everyone coming together as one,” said Flowers.
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