The Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration and Parade has received the prestigious tourism honor as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS). The Southeast Tourism Society has presented Top 20 Events awards since 1985; the best events across the Southeast compete to receive this prestigious Top 20 designation.

“The Jackson parade is one of the largest Martin Luther King, Jr., parades in the nation,” said Wanda Collier-Wilson, CEO and president of the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We are honored that this annual parade can celebrate a successful civil rights leader of our great nation and also offer a diverse, family-friendly Jackson event.”  Two weeks of activities lead up to the big parade in January honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The annual celebration features gospel singing, a talent show, live entertainment and more. The Capital City event drew a crowd of 40,000 in 2009, generating an estimated economic impact of over $3.4 million for Jackson.

The Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events in the Southeast for each month of the year, and publishes the list of winners quarterly. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations and AAA publications, reaching millions of people.
For more information about the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, call (601) 960-1891 or visit www.visitjackson.com.