Pittsburgh is proud of its St. Patrick's Day Parade and hopes to stage one in the second half of this year
By Irish Echo Staff
It is not the first and it will for sure not be the last.
Pittsburgh has postponed its 2021 St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Said a statement from organizers: "Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and continued health concerns surrounding large gatherings, the Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, in conjunction with the City of Pittsburgh, has made the decision to postpone the annual Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade, originally scheduled for March 13, 2021.
"The St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee is working with the City of Pittsburgh to identify a date in the latter half of 2021 when a parade can safely be celebrated.
"The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a longstanding tradition for the Pittsburgh community. With the earliest parade records dating back to 1869, the Pittsburgh Irish community has gathered to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland in the form of a parade consistently since 1950. It is the hope and the goal of the parade committee that this tradition will continue in 2021."
The hope is for a parade later in the year.
“While we will not be able to gather in March to honor St. Patrick with our typical parade, we recognize the health and safety of our community comes first,” said parade chairman Mac McCafferty.
“Over the years we have been challenged by blizzards and torrential downpours, freezing cold and surprising heat, and now the continued public health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic have presented us with the realization that a typical parade in March 2021 will not be possible.
"Pittsburgh has one of the highest percentages of Irish descendants in the United States and we look forward to safely celebrating St. Patrick as a community at a later date in 2021. We would like to thank our first responders, health care workers, and community members for their continued commitment to our city during these unprecedented times.”
Plans to celebrate the Irish community in Pittsburgh at a later date will be communicated as they are finalized, said the statement from parade organizers.
