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To honor the occasion, many Bergen County venues are gearing up to celebrate, offering everything from lectures to worship services and volunteer opportunities. A sampling is listed below. Feel free to add additional events to our events calendar.
Saturday, Jan. 16
Hillsdale: As part of the National Day of Service honoring Dr. King Jersey Cares hosts Donation Sorting at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey starting at 9 a.m.. Celebrate King: 31 Evans Terminal Rd., (908) 355-3663, www.cfbnj.org/ or click HERE for information.
Sunday, Jan. 17
Paramus: A Martin Luther King Jr. tribute and remembrance will take place at 10:30 a.m. at Central Unitarian Church in Paramus. Robert René Galván, the Choir, and the House Band will perform Matt Anderson’s composition, “Be the Power,” featuring guest artist and rapper Mike Shyne. Celebrate King: 156 Forest Ave., (201) 262-6300, www.cucparamus.com/.
Monday, Jan. 18
Teaneck: Temple Emeth will host a special service at 6:30 p.m. Affirming the "Black Lives Matter" Movement with featured speaker the Reverend Canon Petero A. N. Sabune, an Episcopal priest. Celebrate King: 1666 Windsor Rd., (201) 833-1322, www.emeth.org/.
Englewood: The dream continues at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 11 a.m. where the Rev. Eddie Spencer IV of Englewood's Mount Calvary Baptist Church, will speak. Celebrate King: 216 Fourth St., (201) 569-1156, www.myebc.org/.
Hackensack: The Volunteer Center of Bergen County in Hackensack offers a host of volunteer opportunities and is calling on citizens to serve as a way to honor Dr. King's legacy. Celebrate King: 64 Passaic St., (201) 489-9454, www.bergenvolunteers.org/.
Ridgewood: All are invited to the Ridgewood United Methodist Church at 10 a.m. for a remembrance to Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. United States Sen. Cory Booker will deliver remarks as will The Rev. Joseph Ellwanger, Pastor Emeritus of Cross Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. Ellwanger is best known as a civil rights activist who marched alongside King. The program also includes Ridgewood and Glen Rock student speakers and musical performances by the Indian Hills Chamber Choir and Men of Umoja chorus.Celebrate King: 100 Dayton St., (201) 652-2868; ask for Alice Newtwon at (201) 951-9903, www.ridgewoodumc.net/. Bloomfield: Although out of county, Bloomfield's 14th annual MLK Holiday Observance Program, hosted by the New Light Baptist Church (NLBC) at 4 p.m., is expected to draw a large audience from Bergen and Passaic. This year’s theme, “What Are You Doing for Others?”, borrows from Dr. King’s 1957 “Conquering Self-Centeredness” speech given at Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery, Alabama. There will be music and oral presentations and a keynote speech by the Rev. Michael Jordan of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in East Orange. Attendees are asked to donate a non-perishable food item to Bloomfield’s food drive. INFO: (973) 338-5888.
Tuesday, Jan. 19
Englewood: A family-appropriate film depicting Martin Luther King Jr’s life, and its importance in civil rights history will be shown from 3:45 p. m. to 4:45 p.m. in the MacKay Room of the Englewood Library. Celebrate King: 31 Engle St., (201) 568-2215 www.englewoodlibrary.org/.
Wednesday, Jan. 20:
East Rutherford: Kids six to 10 are invited to make a dream catcher in honor of Dr. King at the East Rutherford Memorial Library at 4 p.m. Registration required. Celebrate King: 143 Boiling Springs Ave., (201) 939-3930 or email maria.russo@eastrutherford.bccls.org.
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