Before there was an official state holiday celebrating Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in Nevada, organizers with roots in Louisiana held an annual parade to uplift King’s legacy of “peace and brotherhood.”

The 42nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in Las Vegas, held Monday, carried on a tradition that started in 1983. Along with parades in other cities, it comes under the auspices of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta. 

This year’s theme was “Living the dream: Together we make the dream work,” in unison with other cities that began their slogans with “Living the dream.”

“When I first started it … it looked like a funeral,” said former Assemblyman Wendell P. Williams (D-Las Vegas), the founder of the Las Vegas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, in an interview with The Nevada Independent last week.

He said the first parade had fewer than 13 entries. Williams said the early days of the parade were made up of floats sponsored mainly by politicians and small organizations.

It has since grown to more than 140 entries this year, with floats from casinos, small businesses, nonprofits, fraternities and sororities and dancers – strolling down 4th Street on Monday morning.

“To have a casino involved with it was unheard of when I started,” Williams said.

Photographer Jeff Scheid captured photos of the scene.