Bluffton MLK Day march and parade: date, route and events

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from the Town of Bluffton’s Jan. 13, 2026, news release (PDF) and its calendar. The organizer is the Bluffton MLK Observance Committee. This page is updated each year at the same address.

Bluffton marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a community march and parade through Old Town, after a noon program at the May River Theatre and before a picnic at Ma Daisy’s Porch. The events are run by the Bluffton MLK Observance Committee. MLK Day 2027 is Monday, Jan. 18. The committee had not posted its 2027 schedule when we checked. For 2026, the town published the times in a news release on Jan. 13, six days before the holiday.

Know before you go

• Next MLK Day: Monday, Jan. 18, 2027 (times not yet posted)
• 2026 schedule: program at noon, march lineup at 2 p.m., step-off at 2:15 p.m., picnic after
• Route in 2026: from the town offices at 20 Bridge St. through Old Town along Pritchard Street
• Cost: free and open to the public
• Organizer: Bluffton MLK Observance Committee, blufftonmlk@yahoo.com
• Town of Bluffton: 843-706-4500 (offices closed on MLK Day)

The 2026 schedule

This is how the day ran on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, according to the town’s release (PDF) and calendar:

• Noon: Memorial Program and Youth Day at the May River Theatre, 20 Pritchard St.
• 2 p.m.: lineup for the community parade and march outside the town offices at Ulmer Auditorium, 20 Bridge St.
• 2:15 p.m.: the march steps off and proceeds through Old Town Bluffton along Pritchard Street, ending at Ma Daisy’s Porch.
• 3:15 to 6 p.m.: MLK Day Community Picnic at Ma Daisy’s Porch, 1255 May River Road. The town’s release gave 3 p.m. for the picnic; its calendar gave 3:15 p.m.

The committee held events from Thursday, Jan. 15, through Monday, Jan. 19, and posted the details on its Facebook page. The town encouraged residents and visitors to attend one or more of them “to reflect on Dr. King’s message of service and justice.”

About the organizer

The Bluffton MLK Observance Committee also runs a Juneteenth festival, a Gullah market and other programs, according to its website. The Town of Bluffton lists the MLK March among the events it supports. For updates, the town points people to blufftonmlk.org, the committee’s social media and blufftonmlk@yahoo.com.

Parking and road closures

The town did not post road closures for the 2026 march. The march runs through Old Town, so expect Bridge and Pritchard streets to close to traffic while it passes. Our getting around guide lists public parking in the Historic District.

Also on MLK Day

• Town of Bluffton offices are closed on the holiday, as they were on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. The town’s regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
• More January events go on our things to do this month page in the run-up.

What to know

• Dress for the weather. The march is outdoors in January.
• Check the committee’s Facebook page in early January for the 2027 schedule; we will add it here when it is posted.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Bluffton MLK parade?

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In 2026 the march lined up at 2 p.m. outside the town offices at 20 Bridge St. and stepped off at 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19. MLK Day 2027 is Monday, Jan. 18; the 2027 times had not been posted when we checked.

What is the Bluffton MLK march route?

In 2026 the march started outside the town offices on Bridge Street and went through Old Town Bluffton along Pritchard Street, ending at Ma Daisy’s Porch, 1255 May River Road, for a community picnic.

Who organizes Bluffton’s MLK Day events?

The Bluffton MLK Observance Committee. In 2026 it held events from Thursday, Jan. 15, through Monday, Jan. 19, including a noon Memorial Program and Youth Day at the May River Theatre.

Are Bluffton town offices closed on MLK Day?

Yes. The Town of Bluffton closed its offices on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it closes them each year for the holiday.