Parade Participation Overview

Thank you so much for joining us for the 13th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade on Monday, January 21st, 2019 in Historic Anacostia.  The parade will begin at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE and Good Hope Rd. SE and end at the Gateway Pavilion at 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.  Parade check-in will begin at 10 am at the Anacostia Arts Center at 1231 Good Hope Rd SE and the parade will launch at 11:45 am. We will need the full time to stage as we have over 120 groups in this year’s parade!

Arrival and Checking In

We ask that you arrive with your group no later than 10:00 am on Monday in order to begin checking in and lining up for the parade.  We are asking all group leaders to first check in at the Anacostia Arts Center at 1231 Good Hope Rd SE.  After checking in you may stay at the Arts Center until 10:15 am at which we ask that you report to the intersection of Good Hope Rd. SE and Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE where the parade will line up backing into Anacostia Park.

All participants within your group may also arrive, stay warm and have a beverage at the Anacostia Arts Center (full warming center map below), otherwise please ask all members of your group to arrive no later than 10:15 am at the intersection of Good Hope Rd. Ave SE and MLK Ave SE.

Parking and Drop Off

Metro– The Anacostia Metro Station is the closest station to the parade staging location.  Exit the metro towards the buses exit, onto Howard Rd, walk to MLK Ave SE and turn left.  Walk 10 minutes and you will arrive at Good Hope Rd SE and MLK Ave SE.

Bus– The P6, 90, 92, A9, V2,V5, B2 and DC Circulator buses will all drop off at the MLK Ave SE and Good Hope Rd. SE Intersection

Driving – Please arrive before 10:00 am, at this point all roads are subject to police control and may close making access to the parade starting point for cars extremely difficult.

If you are driving to the parade you may take Howard Rd. SE, Suitland Parkway SE, South Capitol St SW to Anacostia Drive.  From each of those access roads you will turn east towards Good Hope Rd SE. You may also take Good Hope Rd. to Anacostia Drive SE.  You may also take Pennsylvania Ave SE, turn right on Fairlawn Ave SE, turn right on Nicholson St SE to Anacostia Drive to Good Hope Rd. SE.  We highly recommend due to police requests that you DO NOT take the 11th Street Bridge to the parade starting point.

For GPS purposes the easiest location to use for arriving at the parade is 1231 Good Hope Rd SE.  

Parking and End of Parade Pick Up

The parade will end this year at the Gateway Pavilion at 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.  All vehicles and buses may park at the end of the parade on the campus of St. Elizabeth’s East in the Red Parking Lot (maps below).  Before 10 AM, buses and cars may take MLK Ave SE towards the Anacostia Metro Station and up the MLK Ave hill towards the Gateway Pavilion.  After 10 AM cars may take Good Hope Rd SE to Alabama Ave SE to enter the campus of St. Elizabeth’s via MLK Ave SE or 8th St SE.

Please note no parking in neighborhoods surrounding the parade is limited.

Cars in the Parade

If you have a car in the parade, please have the car arrive no later than 10 am as streets will begin to close making entering the parade staging area extremely difficult.  Cars in the parade will line up with their group and may enter the parade staging area from Anacostia Drive ONLY. Please see the parade order for your staging group. If you have a float or a flatbed truck see below.

Floats and Flat-Bed Trucks

If you have a flatbed or float in the parade please arrive no later than 10 am as streets will begin to close making entering the parade staging area extremely difficult.  Flatbeds and Floats will line up on Shannon Place SE facing north. If the vehicle is unable to arrive by 10 am please enter the parade staging area from Anacostia Drive.

Parade Viewing Stand

The parade viewing stand will be on Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE between Howard Rd SE and Talbert St SE.  All those who are viewing the parade are highly encouraged to take public transportation.