City officials on Monday morning recognized the award winners from Lakeland’s 45th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, which was held Jan. 23:
- Best Drum Major – King Izik
- Best Decorated Vehicle – Greater New Jerusalem Baptist Church
- Best Flatbed with Trailer – Mount Pleasant African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Best Professional Float – MidFlorida Credit Union
- Best Motorcycle Group – Buffalo Soldiers MC
- Best in the unique car category – Lakeland Magic
- Best Walkers – Lakeland PAL Cheerleaders
- Best Dance/Step Group – Heart of Florida Step Group
- Best Car Club – Lakeland Volkswagen Club
- Best High School Band – Spoto High School Spartans Marching Band, Riverview
They also gave a special thank you to this year’s grand marshal, retired Detroit Tigers’ outfielder and civil rights proponent Willie Horton.
“Our History is Our Future – Protect It and Preserve It” was the theme for this year’s parade, a highlight of Lakeland’s 10-day 2023 Dream Mega Fest. More than 100 organizations participated.
Here is our photo gallery, followed by a highlights video and video of the full parade. Click on any photo to start a slideshow with larger images:































LkldNow photos by Michael Wilson
Highlights video posted by Unique Produktionz:
Full parade video posted by City of Lakeland: