Martin Luther King Day is more than just the cherry on a 3-day weekend. It's a celebration of a life of service to African Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" As we live our cushioned lives, use our smartphones and internet, and relax on our 3-day weekends, most of us forget that serving others helps to renew our community. Dr. King's dream has been somewhat realized since his death. Imagine living your entire life for one purpose, not getting to live to see said purpose played out, but leaving a legacy.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of Dr. King's holiday being observed and it's been described as a "day on, not a day off." The president has transformed this holiday into a day of service. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community."

Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all. With his powerful, soul-stirring speeches, he encouraged everyone to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live.

With that said, here are five places around the U.S. that observe MLK Day with a little something special:

Indianapolis, IN
The Midwest celebrates via the largest children's museum in the world: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. There's a screening of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, family MLK games, storytelling on the Civil Rights movement, a quilting activity and more. Indianapolis also has various other locations that celebrate as well (for free): the Indianapolis Zoo, the Indiana State Museum and the IMAX Theatre.

Washington D.C.
Our nation's capital goes hard with a Three-Day Family Festival. The American History Museum honors MLK Day from Saturday, January 15th, through Monday the 17th. They have interactive exhibits where you can join in on the sit-ins, which originated in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Woolworth’s Lunch Counter in February of 1960. There is also a "Lift Your Voice" program that allows families to chime in on the changes that Civil Rights has made, as well as challenges our nation continues to face. Of course there's so much more to check out at this three-day observance. It's free and open to the public from 10 am - 5:30 pm.

Baltimore
The "I Have a Dream Weekend" at Baltimore's Port Discovery Children's Museum takes place from January 14-16. This is a hands-on celebration that allows you to make a piece of the Peace Quilt that's created by Baltimore African American Quilters. You can also see depictions of famous African Americans by the students from Northwood Elementary. It's 100% adorable.

Birmingham, AL
The south absolutely has to be on the list of MLK celebrations, seeing as how that's where the movement began. Habitat For Humanity's Unity Build and Rebuild events work on rebuilding homes that were destroyed by a tornado last spring. Dr. King's holiday is indeed a day of service and what better what to observe it than to actually serve someone in need? You can also serve by helping to beautify the Pell City Animal Shelter.

Dallas, TX
Keep in mind the idea of serving on MLK day and help ensure that over 4,000 meals are served to seniors and other disabled people in Dallas with Meals on Wheels. Or, if hammers, nails, and things are more your bag, check out the United Way Capital Area and Hands On Central Texas day of service for home improvement projects on January 16th.

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