Annual downtown Fresno garlanding ceremony kicks off Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations

Elected officials, community leaders, schoolchildren and the MLK Unity Committee came together Friday in downtown Fresno to celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The annual Garlanding and Flower Ceremony at the MLK statue in Courthouse Park is an unofficial start of events recalling the slain civil rights leader.

Friday’s celebration came on the anniversary of his birth, Jan. 15, 1929. Dr. King was assassinated April 4, 1968.

Monday, Jan. 18, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday to commemorate Dr. King’s life and ideals. It is celebrated on the third Monday of the month, which is close to his birthdate.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Annual downtown Fresno garlanding ceremony kicks off Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations."