Join the KZWA Family Legacy Foundation at the Lake Charles Civic Center at 10 a.m. Monday for a parade, festival and gumbo cook-off like no other to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

If there is a chill in the air, as forecast, layered clothing is recommended. Hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls will be provided. The parade rolls at 10 a.m. Lineup is at 7:30 a.m. The route begins at the Event Center. It will travel east on Broad Street, north on Enterprise Boulevard, take Mill Street back to Lake Shore Drive and return to the Event Center.

Monday’s MLK Family Day is more than the opportunity to enjoy a parade, engage the kids in activities planned for them, including face painting, jump houses, free cotton candy, free popcorn and bicycle giveaways.

Sample from a gumbo pot of 10 cook-off teams and crafts and other goods from more than 40 vendors.

Keyun and Zydeco Masters will headline this year’s MLK Family Day event. Other artists scheduled to perform are Nebu Nezey, Leah Nicole, Jarvis Jacob, Lady Kim, Harold Guillory and Jarius Daigle.

The event presents an opportunity to come together as a family and community, to acknowledge King’s legacy, and recall the contributions of the late Faye Blackwell.

Blackwell and Fred Blackwell were the originators and founders of the MLK celebration and beloved members of the community, Ross said. The Family Legacy Foundation and radio station KZWA (104.9 FM) is owned by their heirs, Ramsey and Lyndsay Byrd and family.

“We want Lake Charles to be what we know it can be,” said Dianna Ross, KZWA general manager. “We are an extraordinarily diverse community, and MLK is probably one of the most separated festival events of all.

“It’s not because we don’t like each other, or that we are not capable of getting along, it’s because we are not coming together to apply ‘The Dream’ that Dr. King and people from all walks of life fought and died for.”

Ross said the goal moving forward is not to have the MLK festival considered a cultural festival but a community festival for all cultures.

“Dr. King didn’t walk the streets arm and arm with just black people,” she said. “He walked the streets with people of all races and nationalities and beliefs and understandings. That is why the Legacy Foundation is making its mark with the mission to bring the City of Lake Charles and surrounding communities together, not only for the purpose of togetherness but also for legacy, for love and for justice.”

Ross said the Family Legacy Foundation is looking forward to establishing a board of directors from the community that will work to do just that.