Photo by cruffo

The first time they tried to inaugurate the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, they got a hurricane. This time, it’s looking like a soggy week will give way to a sunny weekend.

Despite the smaller dedication ceremony planned for Sunday — organizers expect 50,000 people, while the original date was expected to draw 250,000 — it’ll still be a star-studded affair. Gwen Ifill will moderate the ceremony, which will be attended by President Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin and a number of civil rights icons such as Julian Bond and Congressman John Lewis.

In preparation for the dedication, on Saturday Mayor Vince Gray will lead the D.C. Full Democracy Freedom Rally and March, which will kick off at Freedom Plaza at 9:30 a.m. and wind its way down to the King Memorial by way of Independence Avenue.