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Syracuse University canceled Sunday’s 41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration due to forecast severe weather, Hendricks Chapel announced in a Friday campus-wide email.

The event, planned for Jan. 25 at the JMA Wireless Dome, was set to feature SU alum and Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens. The theme for the celebration was “The Dream Lives Here.”

“We do not make this decision lightly and recognize how meaningful this annual gathering is for our campus, the city of Syracuse and Central New York,” the statement reads. “However, the safety and well-being of our community is our first priority.”

Earlier Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for the upcoming winter storm. The National Weather Service forecast Syracuse may get nine to 16 inches of snowfall, with other parts of central New York possibly getting more.

Organizers will provide information next week regarding rescheduling the event or refunding attendees, according to the email.

Published on January 23, 2026 at 9:21 pm
Contact Griffin: gbrown19@syr.edu