Every year, the Town of Cary celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with Dreamfest, a collection of events. Dreamfest will take place from January 12th to 17th, 2022, and will include film, performances, and more.
Learn about the many ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the Triangle for MLK Day.
There are both in-person and virtual events.
Dreamfest also includes a food drive and a day of service on Good Hope Farm.
Please visit the Dreamfest website for links to sign up for the various events. All descriptions on this page are from the Dreamfest website.
Reflecting the Times: Saving the Nina Simone Childhood Home (Presentation)
Wednesday, January 12th, 2022
7 p.m.
Virtual
Free
Singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina. Her childhood home, less than a mile from the South Carolina border, had been empty and abandoned for a number of years, despite efforts to turn it into a museum. In 2017 a group of African American artists purchased the house, with a goal of reinterpreting it to recognize Simone’s complex legacy and embrace her statement that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Learn about the property, the efforts to save it, and the challenges ahead for rehabilitation and potential uses with Tiffany Tolbert with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Ted Alexander with Preservation North Carolina. A Q&A with the speakers will follow the presentation.
MLK/FBI (Film)
Thursday, January 13th, 2022, 2 p.m.
Saturday, January 15th, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
The Cary Theater
$5.59
The first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, the documentary explores the government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals. From Emmy Award winning director Sam Pollard and featuring interviews with Andrew Young, James Comey, Clarence Jones, and more.
Selma (Film)
Thursday, January 13th, 2022, 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 15th, 2022, 5 p.m.
The Cary Theater
$5.59
The unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
“No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone” (Performance)
Friday, January 14th, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Cary Arts Center
$23 to $27
“No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone” is an intimate portrayal of the legendary artist Nina Simone. The performance gives its audiences insight into Simone’s wide repertoire of music, her life perspective, sense of humor, and sense of duty to people of color. Born “Eunice Kathleen Waymon” in 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone, an American singer-songwriter and musician is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a hero of the Civil Rights Movement.
African American Heroes and Sheroes (Performance)
Saturday, January 15th, 2022
11 a.m.
Cary Arts Center
$8
Linda Gorham brings to life the stories of the following African American heroes and sheroes whose actions and/or experiences made a positive impact on our country: Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, The Little Rock Nine, Young Barack Obama, and Young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Learning about our nation’s history helps preserve the past, clarify our identities and self-worth, and create empathy for the struggles of those who came before us.
I Am Not Your Negro (Film)
Sunday, January 16th, 2022
2 p.m.
The Cary Theater
Free, but ticket required
Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, “Remember This House.” The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. “I Am Not Your Negro” is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for. Following the film, there will be a Q&A with NC State University professor Dr. Marc Dudley (author “Understanding James Baldwin”) and other guests.
Interfaith MLK Service
Sunday, January 16th, 2022
3:30 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church, 600 Walnut Street Cary
Also, on YouTube
Free
Clergy from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions will offer prayers and reflections. Guest preacher is Rev. CeCe Mills, an African American Lutheran pastor from Salisbury. The NC State virtual MLK Project will also participate.
MLK Dreamfest Day of Service
Monday, January 17th, 2022
1 to 3 p.m.
Good Hope Farm
1580 Morrisville Carpenter Road, Cary
Free
In an effort to support food security in the region, volunteers are needed to help prepare the organic teaching farm for spring planting. As part of this day of service, please also bring at least one canned/nonperishable food item for donation to the local food pantry. Please come dressed in weather-appropriate work clothes and shoes, and bring a water bottle. Volunteers aged 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Parking at the farm is limited, so please carpool whenever possible.
Register for Dreamfest events.
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More Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events
Check out a list of MLK Day events in the Triangle, or look at a quick list here:
