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Danbury Church Among Venues Hosting Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn.. -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of every January, around the time of the Civil Rights leader's Jan. 15 birthday. 

Last year's MLK Day performance at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich.

Last year's MLK Day performance at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich.

Photo Credit: Submitted
The Voice’s Luke Wade will be at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

The Voice’s Luke Wade will be at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

Photo Credit: Submitted

To honor the occasion, many Fairfield County venues are gearing up to celebrate, offering everything from worship services to educational and entertaining events. A sampling is listed below. Feel free to add additional events to our events calendar. 

Friday, Jan. 15:

Greenwich: Sacred Heart Greenwich will celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King with gospel music, dance and an inspiring talk at 9:30 a.m. in the DuBois Gymnasium. Celebrate King: 1177 King St. (203) 531-6500, www.cshgreenwich.org/.

Sunday, Jan. l7

Westport: The Interfaith Council of Westport and Weston, TEAM Westport, and Westport Country Playhouse will present a Martin Luther King Day Celebration from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The keynote speaker is Marilyn Ward Ford, the Neil Cogan Public Service Professor of Law at Quinnipiac University. There will also be readings by students from Regional Center for the Arts in Trumbull; choral music by the Staples High School Orphenians and the Serendipity Chorale. The event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served following the program. Celebrate King: Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, (203) 227-4177, www.westportplayhouse.org/.

Monday, Jan. l8

Danbury: St. James Episcopal Church in Danbury will host a "Night of Celebration" in honor of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. beginning at 6:30 p.m. The celebration will feature performances from Saint James Choir under the direction of Joanne Archibald, Wooster School’s Madrigals under the direction of Claire Simard, and EHT Fellowship Choir (of Hartford) under the direction of Tyrone Black. The event is free and open to the public. Celebrate King: 25 West St., (203) 830-3916, www.woosterschool.org/.

Greenwich: It's Family Fun Day at the Bruce Museum in honor of Dr. King. The museum will offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a variety of family activities inspired by current exhibits as well as performances by Bright Star Theatre Company. The 11 a.m. performance of George Washington Carver and Friends, designed for families with kids ages three to eight, presents an inspiring introduction to some of the most influential black Americans of the last 150 years, including Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall. At 1 p.m., Struggle for Freedom: The Life of Dr. King celebrates the work and life of Dr. King in the context of the American Civil Rights Movement. The museum will also host related craft activities in the Education Workshop throughout the day. Celebrate King: 1 Museum Dr., (203) 869-0376, www.brucemuseum.org/.

Ridgefield: The town of Ridgefield will present the 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration with a special performance by "The Voice’s" Luke Wade. The event, which begins at 3 p.m. at The Ridgefield Playhouse is free to the community and will also feature performances by The Ridgefield Chorale, Deborah Katchko-Gray and the TSI Singers, Kimberly Wilson and members of A Better Chance Ridgefield. Celebrate King: 80 East Ridge, (203) 438-5795, or www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org/. 

Wilton: The Wilton Historical Society is offering a way for children to mark this important day with a storytime reading of "Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Doreen Rappaport, and a hands-on activity to celebrate his birthday – making "Birds of Peace." It all starts at 11 a.m. Celebrate King: 224 Danbury Rd., (203) 762-7257, www.wiltonhistorical.org/.

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