DENVER — Organizers of the annual Marade announced a shortened schedule to limit participants' exposure to the bitterly cold temperatures expected Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
There will be an hour-long delay, and the program at City Park will now begin at 10:30 a.m. A decision on whether or not to shorten or cancel the annual bike ride will be announced Friday evening.
Senior citizens, small children, people with underlying medical conditions and pets are discouraged from attending this year out of safety precaution.
In addition, three warming shelters are in place on the route:
- Carla Madison Recreation Center, 2401 E. Colfax, Denver, CO
- Church in the City, 1580 N. Gaylord St., Denver, CO
- Pete’s Kitchen, 1926 E. Colfax, Denver, CO
Anyone who does decide to attend should be prepared for extreme cold. That means wear layers of lightweight, warm clothing and a hat, Marade organizers advise.
The Denver metro area will fall below freezing on Friday afternoon and will stay there until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, according to the National Weather Service. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from the extreme cold and try to stay dry. Some warm weather clothing will be given out to participants at Civic Center, while supplies last.
Overnight lows in Denver, not including wind chill, will drop to about -2 degrees early Sunday, about -5 early Monday, and -6 on Tuesday morning. Wind chill values on the eastern plains may reach as low as -30 degrees. Marade organizers recommend participants bring a wind breaker to protect against the anticipated wind chill.
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Denver could see between 4 and 6 inches of snow this weekend too. The Denver Mayor's Office will hand out warm drinks to participants at City Park, while supplies last, and outdoor heaters will be available at City Park and Civic Center.
Denver
Organizers make changes to annual MLK Jr. Marade because of frigid temps
The Marade dealt with similar challenges last year due to the weather. The same 30-minute delay was implemented. Additionally, the annual bicycle ride was postponed, events happening before the start of the Marade were shortened and events at the end of the Marade at Civic Center Park were canceled.
Organizers say the show will go on — rain, snow, or shine.
Dr. Vern L. Howard, chairman of the Dr. MLK Jr. Holiday Commissioners told Denver7 they tried to cancel the Marade due to extreme weather once in the early 2000s.
But people showed up to march anyway – and this year will be no exception.
"When we stop and think about Dr. King and those who marched with him, marched against rocks being thrown at them, fire hoses, dogs biting, being arrested, the threat of death every day - and we can't march because it's a little bit cold?" said Dr. Howard. "Justice never goes to sleep, and the moment we quit marching for purpose is the moment we have let down society."
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