The annual Kingdom Day Parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is Monday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m.
With big crowds expected — as usual — Go Metro to reach the parade! Two Metro K Line train stations are just steps from the parade route so you can skip traffic and parking hassles.
The Kingdom Day Parade is widely considered to be the nation’s largest — and best — celebration of Dr. King and the civil rights movement that he helped lead. The parade includes floats, marching bands, musical performances and community groups, among others.
How to ride to the parade
•Two K Line stations are just a few steps from the parade route: the aptly-named Martin Luther King, Jr. Station at Crenshaw Boulevard and MLK Jr. Boulevard and Leimert Park Station at Crenshaw and Vernon Avenue.
•The K Line runs between the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Crenshaw Blvd. and Redondo Beach. Our E Line and C Line both offer direct transfers to the K Line. See the system map below.
•To plan your transit trip, Google Maps, Apple Maps, the Transit app, Moovit app or metro.net. Our system map is below.
Paying Metro Fares
- Fares: Regular adult fares are $1.75 per one-way trip or $3.50 roundtrip with free transfers for two hours, or $5 for unlimited rides all day.
- Pro tip: two children ages six and under ride free with each paying adult.
- TAP Cards: Fares are paid with TAP cards. You can either purchase a plastic TAP card from TAP vending machines at all Metro Rail and Busway stations and load fare on it. Or, use a digital TAP card on your smartphone.
- Please note: each paying rider must have their own physical TAP card.
Loading fare on an iPhone
- Open the Apple Wallet app on your iPhone and tap the “+”
- Select ‘Transit Card,’ then select TAP
- Add fare with a double click of the side button
- Tap at bus farebox or validator at rail stations & ride!
- You can load multiple TAP cards in Apple Wallet — you just need to switch to the next card before tapping at the farebox on buses and validators at rail and busway stations.
Loading fare on an Android phones
- Download the TAP App from Google Play
- Sign in or create a TAP account
- Follow prompts to “Add a TAP Card on Your Phone” and add fare; a round-trip on Metro buses and trains costs $3.50
- Tap at bus farebox or validator at rail stations & ride!
Bus detours and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service
There will be detours for Metro Bus Lines 40, 102, 105, 206, 207, 209 and 210 in the area around the parade. Signs will be posted at bus stops and detour routes are available on our service advisories page — click on the ‘bus’ tab and then ‘upcoming’ to see the detours.
Metro is running regular weekday service on Monday.
Metro in the parade
Metro is, again, one of the many proud sponsors of the Kingdom Day Parade. Once again, our vintage bus — similar to the type that Rosa Parks rode on — will be in the parade as well as a contingent of Metro employees.
We also wanted to mention this: it has been a good year for the K Line. The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened last June serving trains on the C Line and K Line, as well as local bus routes. That makes it a lot easier to reach the airport and the thousands of jobs in the area. Riders now also have a one-seat ride all the way to Redondo Beach.
Given that Martin Luther King Day is a celebration of the progress we’ve made when it comes to civil rights, we also want to put the upcoming Transit Equity Day on your radar.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Metro will be offering free rides to celebrate Rosa Parks’ birthday. Transit Equity Day is our chance to show our commitment to providing safe, accessible and affordable transit that gives everyone in our region access to opportunity.
Have a great time at the Kingdom Day Parade and please post your photos riding Metro and tag us! We’re @metrolosangeles on Instagram, X and TikTok and @losangelesmetro on Facebook.
For more information about the Kingdom Day Parade, please visit the event’s website.
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