By Lei Yixin
WASHINGTON — The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the first on the National Mall to honor a nonpresident, will be dedicated on Aug. 28, the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
The occasion will be accompanied by four days of special events, Aug. 25-Aug. 28, that will include a family-friendly expo, Partners in the Dream, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, inspirational concerts, a VIP gala and civil rights leaders luncheon.
Destination DC, the official tourism and marketing office for the nation’s capital, has combination group hotel and ticket packages for the dedication.
The arrangement is in partnership with the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc.
“Members of our department dedicated to tourism and visitor services are working exclusively with tour groups for this occasion,” said Kate Gibbs, media relations manager for Destination DC.
Destination DC’s allocation of tickets is combined with two-night stays at one of 16 Washington hotels. The exclusive bundles are available until they are sold out. Tickets are nontransferable and nonrefundable.
“Thousands of people from across the country and around the world have been touched by the life and legacy of Dr. King. Destination DC is excited to present this unique opportunity to witness history,” said Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC.
The hotel and dedication ticket packages are available at www.Washington.org/mlk and 877-2011MLK (201-1655).
Destination DC has also created a special brochure for the occasion. The “Official Washington DC Travel Information Guide for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial” includes information about famous D.C. landmarks associated with King.
It will be distributed free to visitors for the rest of the year.
In addition, itineraries are included from Destination DC’s Civil War to Civil Rights marketing campaign, a four-year commemoration exploring the district’s position in the Civil War and its role in the civil rights movement.
Complete details about Dedication Week events can be found at www.dedicatethedream.org.
Destination DC’s dedicated website is http://washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/mlk-memorial.
