Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of downtown's East Village tomorrow morning for the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, one of many events planned in honor of the Jan. 15 birthday of the late civil rights leader.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Park Boulevard and head to Tony Gwynn Way, then to Seventh Avenue, J Street, 11th Avenue, back to Park Boulevard, then to K Street, and 13th Street to Tailgate Park.

Grand marshals are UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and Vice Chancellor Joseph W. Watson. They will lead a procession of marching bands, step and drill teams and community leaders.

Radio host Tayari Howard from Smooth Jazz 98.1 FM will be the parade's announcer.
After the parade, people can attend the 9th Annual San Diego Multicultural Festival. It will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade across from the San Diego Convention Center on the north side of Harbor Drive between Market Street and Fourth Avenue.

Among the new exhibits at this year's event will be the Art Miles Mural Project, which aims to promote global harmony by creating and assembling 12 miles of murals painted across the world. The Centre City Development Corp., San Diego's downtown redevelopment arm, is spending $10,000 on the event, and received an additional $60,000 from other sponsors, Derek Danziger, the agency's spokesman, said.

A schedule of performances and activities is available online at www.ccdc.com.
Also tomorrow, there will be a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at Ambassador Family Church, 1602 El Camino Real in Oceanside. The event will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Information: (760) 754-9686 .

Some events honoring King are happening today. The YMCA of San Diego County is holding its 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. at the Scottish Rite Center in Mission Valley.

This afternoon, Point Loma Nazarene University will unveil a kiosk exhibit devoted to the speech King gave to 3,400 people in the gymnasium of the former California Western University. That spot is now part of Point Loma's campus.

The kiosk, with an interactive touch screen, will be a permanent display in Golden Gymnasium.

On Sunday at 4 p.m., Christ United Presbyterian Church will host a community celebration honoring King at the church, 3025 Fir St. Information: (619) 239-2346 .
A dramatization of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” will be presented at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2020 Chestnut Ave. in Carlsbad. Information: (760) 729-6311

On Monday, King's birthday, the 19th annual All People's Breakfast will be held at Golden Hall in downtown San Diego. Doors open at 7 a.m. and breakfast will be served at 7:30.
The breakfast is organized by the city's Human Relations Commission and the Interagency Coalition on Human & Civil Rights, and honors community leaders whose work against injustice, violence and abuse have had a national and global effect.

Keynote speakers are Azim Khamisa, founder of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation; Minister Tukufu Kalonji, founder and executive director of The Serudj Institute of Effective Socialization; and Jason Russell, founder of Invisible Children. For tickets, call (619) 236-6413 .

Another breakfast, scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Monday, is planned at the Dr. Martin Luther King Center, 6134 Benson Ave. This event, in its 12th year, is presented by the United African American Ministerial Action Council Inc. For tickets, call (858) 277-6090 .
A third breakfast will be held Monday at MiraCosta College cafeteria at 7:30 a.m., 1 Barnard Drive in Oceanside. Information: (760) 754-9686

Later in the day, a walk and candlelight prayer vigil are planned. At 4:30 p.m., San Diego City Councilman Tony Young and other elected officials, along with clergy and community leaders, will gather with hundreds of people at Faith Chapel Church of God in Christ, 4999 Holly Drive in Lincoln Park.

The group will walk to the intersection of Imperial and Euclid avenues. Speakers will share concerns and stories about gang and domestic violence, and what can be done to improve schools and job opportunities for young people. For information, call (619) 527-1224 . On Tuesday, students at the King-Chavez Academies will read the “Dream Speech,” and then with teachers and parents march on the streets near campus.

The event will begin at 9:30 at the school's athletic field on Imperial Avenue between 31st and 32nd streets, and will end at 12:30 p.m.

The school expects 2,000 people to participate.

– Compiled by Dani Dodge, Elizabeth Fitzsimons, Pat Sherman and Eleanor Yang Su