Atlanta’s Busiest Day: MLK Day, College Football Playoff Coincides with Inauguration Day

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 15: An aerial photo shows the downtown skyline from Centennial Olympic Park on May 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup. (Photo by Alex Slitz – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

ATLANTA – As President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are sworn into office in Washington, DC, Monday, January 20 will also be an extremely busy day for the city of Atlanta. It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the College Football Playoff.

Shortly after the deadly attack during the New Orleans holiday, Atlanta city officials told FOX 5 Atlanta law enforcement and federal agencies would be prepared with increased security during such high-profile events.

Details of Inauguration Day 2025

While Inauguration Day takes place in Washington, DC on the National Mall, Atlanta residents may still be affected. We may notice an increase in early morning drivers heading to the airport and those heading home late at night.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has not publicly released any expectations for a busier than normal travel day.

We have more information on the Inauguration Day schedule and festivities here.

MLKDay5K Drum Run details

Runners will line up at the First Baptist Church of Doraville on Monday at 8 for the annual MLKDay5K Drum Run and walk.

At 9 a.m. they hit the pavement on New Peachtree Road.

This event is USA Track and Field (USATF) certified. It is also a qualification Peachtree Road Race scheduled for July 4, 2025.

MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service details

In the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, thousands of people will flock to Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church for the annual MLK Day Beloved Community Commemorative Service. The theme this year is “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.”

There are several well-known guests on the program. Parking will likely be limited.

The service begins at 9 and will be streamed live on FOX 5 Atlanta, FOX Local, YouTube and Facebook.

RELATED: MLK Day 2025: King Center Shares 40th Holiday Compliance Plan

College Football Playoff in Atlanta details

Meanwhile, the College Football Playoff National Championship game will get underway downtown later that evening.

Ohio State and Notre Dame will go toe-to-toe on the iron gridiron inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the national title on college football’s biggest night.

Benz has a stadium capacity of 71,000, but can be expanded to accommodate up to 75,000 fans. On Sunday night, the game was not yet sold out.

In addition, the CFP announced the lineup for Allstate Championship Tailgatewhich will kick off the game day festivities. The event takes place outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium from 10 a.m. to 6:00 PM at Georgia International Plaza and The Home Depot Backyard.

Award-winning global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke will headline the Allstate Championship Tailgate on the Capital One Music Stage. There will also be interactive games, concessions, live ESPN broadcasts and performances by each team’s marching band throughout the day.

There will likely be lots of parties and after parties in the area.

The big game starts at 20:00

The source: Details of the events mentioned in this article were confirmed by The King Center, First Baptist Church of Doraville and the College Football Playoff Committee. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.

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