37th Annual Plant City
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Parade
"Excellence Through Education!"
ROSTER WILL BE POSTED JAN 8, 2023
PARADE ROSTER
THE IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE OF PLANT CITY
MLK PARADE LINEUP 2023
REVISED JAN 13, 2023
- IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE BANNER
- STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL COLOR GUARD
- PARADE MARSHALL
- PLANT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
- PLANT CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
- HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE
- STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL COLOR GUARD
- STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL BAND MOVED TO 2
- STRAWBERRY HIGH SCHOOL CADETS/EXHIBITION TEAM
- MAYOR (NATE KILTON)
- COMMISSIONER (MARY MATHIS)
- COMMISSIONER (BILL DODSON)
- COMMISSIONER (JASON JONES)
- CITY MANAGER (BILL MCDANIEL)
- ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER – (JACK HOLLAND)
- PLANT CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (813) 754-3707 CAR/WALKERS
- LOCKHART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
- COUNTY COMMSSIONER (GWEN MYERS)
- COUNTY COMMISSIONER (MICHAEL OWEN (813) 272-5452
CAR/WALKERS
- COUNTY COMMISSIONER (DONNA CAMERON CEPEDA)
- SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS (CRAIG LATIMER)
- TAX COLLECTOR (CAR & WALKERS)
- HS COUNTY COMMUNITY RELATIONS AFFAIRS (813) 276-2637
- HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOL BOARD (FLOAT)
- MARSHALL JR. HIGH BAND (80 MEMBER UNIT) (813) 602-0081 MR. CAYER
- MARSHALL MIDDLE MAGNET LADIES QUEST (R COPELAND) 813-478-2905
- MARSHALL MIDDLE IB DRAGON DOLLS WALKERS (ADRIENNE THOMAS) 813-757-9360
- IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE FLOAT (813) 340-2557
- BEALSVILLE EAGLES WALKERS – TY HOLMES
- ORDER OF EASTERN STARS & MASONS (SHIRLEY FAISON/ESSIE LEWIS)
- MANIFEST BEAUTY/MAGICAL (TASHOYA ROBINSON (863) 853-0297 CAR
- BRAIDS UNLEASHED (TUNYA (863) 934-4504 ) – 30 WALKERS
- GIRL SCOUTS VENTURE CREW (NADINE HILLS) WALKERS (813)
263-2775
- PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL BAND (813) 757-9370 (EXT 282)
- KIDS WORLD 9 LLC. (CAR/TRUCK)
- GREATER NEW HOPE ANOINTED YOUTH MINISTRY – TRUCK AND WALKERS
- PC PHOTO ARCHIVIES & HISTORY CENTER
- FELTON SUPERMARKET - 1 TRUCK
- PC DEMOCRATIC CLUB (CAR/TRUCK/WALKERS W/MUSIC)
- BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF POLK COUNTY (TRUCK & BIG WHEELS WHEELS) (863) 618-5263 MR. SHELL
- DURANT HIGH SCHOOL BAND
- ALPA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY (CAR/TRUCK) (863) 409-9744 MS. DOWNING –TOWNSEND
- GREGG –ANNE AME CHURCH CAR (863) 495-9765 MS. JONES
- GREGG –ANNE BMW CAR CLUB (6) UNITS
- GREGG – ANNE SPIDER BIKES ((6) UNITS
- GREGG – TRUCK MOTOR CLUB (3) UNITS
- HILLSBROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT (BUS) AND 30-40 WALKERS KENDRA SHEPARD (813) 440-8825
- TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
- ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY (CAR/TRUCK) (863) 409-9744 MS. DOWNING-TOWNSEND
- HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT (BUS) and 30-40 WALKERS KENDRA SHEPARD 813-440-8825
- TAMMY’S TAX SERVICE
- LINCOLN IB ELEMENTARY LIONESSESS CLUB WALKERS ALL GROUP (ASHONTI COPELAND) (813) 478-1628
- GOODFELLAS (CARS/BIKES) CURTIS BROOKS
- GEORGE S. MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL BAND (ABRAHAM TEJEDA) (813) 647-6093
- YBA COMMUNITY BOARD ORLANDO MIN. BRINSON (813) 650-4104
- SPECIALLY FIT FOUNDATION GROUP HOMES & CHARTER SCHOOL (MARK OLIVER) 727-831-2829 TRUCK/CAR
- ALLEN CHAPEL CHURCH (VAN)
- MT. OLIVE MB CHURCH (VAN/WALKERS) RHONDA BELLAMY (813) 703-5512
- HONOR’S FUNERAL SERVICE
- PLANT CITY COLTS – WALKERS (MIN. BRINSON)
- TURKEY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
- BUFFALO SOLDIERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB
- TAMPA BAY POSSE CORVETTE CLUB (40 + CARS)
ADDITIONAL UNITS MAYBE ADDED BY USING THE OPEN SLOTS HOWEVER TRY TO KEEP UNITS WITH MUSIC OR OTHER SOUND MAKING INSTRUMENTS AWAY FROM THE BANDS
Saturday January 14, 2023
1pm to 230pm
Historic Downtown
Each year the Improvement League of Plant City hosts the Annual Plant City MLK Freedom Parade. The parade route is 1.4 miles and is held every year on the Saturday leading up to the recognized Monday Federal Holiday during the month of January. The route has only changed once in its 37 years of existence.
Consistency equates to timeliness and avoids incident.
PARADE PREPARATION
PARADE STAGING AREA
The staging area will be the corner of Wheeler and MLK Blvd. Arrival time between 1145am to 1215pm is recommended. Large groups may start arriving by 1115am to 1130am.
School Bands will assemble as in previous years in the Verizon/Frontier parking lot and will be merged into position as the parade procession starts.
PARADE STAGING AREA- map below
Parade participants will be aligned along both sides of MLK Blvd from Wheeler Street going back west to Haught Funeral Home. Parade position numbers will be posted on 1/8/2023 on our website main page at www.plantcitymlkfestival.com.
The Parade will start promptly at 100pm. Adjacent streets close at 1230pm.
PARADE ROUTE
Aerial Picture of Route (above)
PARADE HANG OUT SPOTS FOR BEADS & CANDY!
The parade route continues East on MLK Blvd for 1.4 miles and ends at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Complex, 1601 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. Food, vendors, free giveaways and entertainment will be held at the complex through 7pm.
Wells Fargo Parking Lot & Plant City Photo Archives parking lot
Downtown Mural Parking Lots (Ace Realty Advisors) corner of Collins & MLK
Willaford Railroad Museum Parking Lot
Sam Cooper Park & Lake (MLK & Lake Street)
Bing House & Charlow Funeral Home (MLK & Allen Street)
Marshall Middle School Gym area (corner of Maryland Ave & MLK Blvd)
END OF PARADE ROUTE
PLANT CITY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR RECREATIONAL COMPLEX
1601 E. DR. MLK JR. BLVD
The applications are available for download on our main page directly and/or under the schedule tab/forms/parade.
Thank you for your continuous commitment to embracing and celebrating Plant City’s proud heritage.
Improvement League of Plant City, CDC
Organizers of the PC MLK Parade
Call (813) 704-5800 or (813) 757-6760
PROUD TITLE SPONSORS
MOSAIC COMPANY // LAW OFFICES OF TED TAYLOR, PLANT CITY // CITY OF PLANT CITY
PREFERRED HOTELS OF CHOICE ARE - Holiday Inn Express
The late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
