Ridgeland moving forward with MLK Jr. Day plans

RIDGELAND, S.C. (WTOC) - Martin Luther King Jr. Day is now less than a week away and a Jasper County festival is still planned to go ahead as scheduled.

While other MLK Jr Day events have been canceled in our area due to COVID the one in Ridgeland is still on for this Saturday. While masks won’t be required, they say they’re using an outdoor space to make sure people can still socially distance as they want.

“If you feel good, if you feel safe let’s just have a safe good event. Let’s get some education and knowledge about Martin Luther King, let’s come together as a community as a whole.”

It’s set to take place at the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage this year, after not being able to have the festival at all in 2021.

“Last year we didn’t get to do it due to the pandemic but this year we want to bring the community together,” said Rakeesha Patterson, Co-Founder Kuntry Kids Foundation.

They say they nearly called it off this year as well, but community support encouraged them not to.

“We were thinking about cancelling it in December, but I reached out to a couple of people and I made a couple posts on Facebook and people were like please don’t do it,” said Antwone Patterson, Co-Founder Kuntry Kids Foundation.

The second annual Jasper County MLK Jr. Festival will start Saturday at 11 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

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