San Antonio will not be having a St. Patrick's Day Parade this year due to rising costs.
But the Texas city does have a back-up for the annual Irish day.
Even though there will not be a street parade, residents and visitors will be able to watch St. Patrick's Day celebrations along the city's famed Riverwalk.
"On behalf of The Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas it is with a heavy heart that I write to tell you that we are unable to stage the St. Patrick's Day parade in 2012. The escalating costs of the parade of over $12,000 for the permit, barricades, police, insurance and the reviewing stand and lack of city support and assistance make it impossible to continue this tradition," Carolyn Dowd, chairman of the parade organizers, the Harp and Shamrock Society, wrote in a message to the society committee members.
"Some of you have been with us for the full 44 years of our parade's existence and we know you will feel the loss of our annual expression of pride in our Irish heritage as strongly as we do. The history of the Irish in San Antonio is linked not only to the history of San Antonio itself, but to your own history as a representative of the San Antonio community," Dowd stated.
"We are working to develop funding and sponsorship for future street parades, she added.
Dowd said that the society would "continue our presence in the St. Patrick's Day celebration by maintaining our partnership with Paseo del Rio Association in dyeing the river green with a river parade as we have done for almost as long as we've had the street parade."
And she concluded: "With the support of our city and business leaders downtown, we hope to be able to re-stage one of the longest running St. Patrick's Day Parades in Texas."
Precise details on this year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations in San Antonio can be viewed at www.harpandshamrock.org.
