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A full slate of events are planned in the Grand Strand to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Grand Strand Freedom Week will include a parade, a special church service, a forum and business expo and more. The events are hosted by the Carolina African American Heritage Foundation, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of Myrtle Beach.

The parade, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, will travel along Ocean Boulevard from 15th Avenue North to 8th Avenue North.

Road closures are planned surrounding the parade. Withers Drive between 13th and 16th Avenues North will close at 9 a.m. as the location will serve as the staging area for parade participants. Access to Ocean Boulevard between 16th and 7th avenues north will close at 9:45 a.m. for the parade. Eighth Avenue North between Kings Highway and Ocean Boulevard will be the post-staging area and will close at 9:45 a.m. Roads will re-open to normal traffic as the parade passes by.

Following the parade on Saturday is the youth MLK Community Resource Fair, which will be held at Myrtle Beach Middle School from noon to 3 p.m.

On Sunday, a special church service, the CommUNITY Ecumenical Service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 3810 Robert M. Grissom Parkway. The service, starting at 4 p.m., will represent multiple church denominations. The keynote speaker is Rev. Joel McMakin of First United Methodist Church and music will be performed by a joint choir from Sandy Grove Baptist Church and Mt. Olive AME Church.

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the holiday will start with a MLK Drum Major Awards and Breakfast. Starting at 9 a.m., the event will be located at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Coastal Carolina University associate professor Dr. Tiffany Hollis will be keynote speaker. Tickets are $25 per person or $250 for a table that seats 10.

A beautification and cleanup will happen at Bathsheba Bowens Memorial Park (840 Nance St.) starting at 12:30 p.m. The park is located in the heart of Myrtle Beach鈥檚 Harlem neighborhood and volunteers will be picking up litter, landscaping, weeding and planting flowers in the park. Click here to register.

On Tuesday, recognition of the holiday will wrap up with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion forum and small business expo. The event will occur from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Horry Georgetown Technical College business conference center (950 Crabtree Lane). Businesses can reserve a table for $35 and attendees can purchase tickets, which include lunch, for $15 by clicking here.