The fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations are set for Jan. 19 and 21.

“This year it has turned into two actual events,” said Henry Wade, Maricopa’s vice mayor and event organizer.

The first event will take place two days before MLK Day on Saturday.

From 7:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, the inaugural Dream Awards will take place at the Global Water Office in Maricopa. Jevin Hodge, a life coach, will be the featured speaker at the event. Tickets are $25 each.

“It is an adult event, and we will feature hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and the event meal is catered by Helen’s,” Wade said. “We will have the awards ceremony for the Dream Awards. We have selected six individuals in the community who are unsung heroes. People who just do things. You never know about them because they are very quiet, and they do what they do.”

While physical tickets for the Jan. 19 Dream Awards don’t exist, access to the event can be purchased online through EventBright.com.

“Tickets are currently still available. They are going really fast,” Wade said.

Performing at the event will be A Touch of Class followed by dancing until midnight to music played by DJ Kalid.

The MLK Community Day event for the whole family will be Monday at Copper Sky. Events begin at 11 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. Events will be on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard adjacent to the basketball and tennis courts. All events are outside.

“We have outgrown ourselves. Last time we were inside, and now we are outside. We will have food trucks there and other vendors,” Wade said. “We encourage people to come out and play volleyball and basketball. Just have a good time with the kids and the family. There is a lot going on.”

The event is run by a private citizens committee.

“The community enjoys and looks forward to it,” Wade said. “It is interdenominational, it is multicultural and nonpartisan,” Wade said. “It is about getting together and recognizing that we, as Americans, have some great people who have done a lot of things that help us be the great country, and he is one who has done that. We have a holiday to recognize that we support that. I hope everyone will come out.”

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