Pandemic concerns trigger postponement of Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day Parade

Organizers are postponing this year’s Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade because of pandemic concerns regarding large gatherings.

The decision to postpone the annual event, which would have been held on March 13, was made jointly with city officials.

The parade committee is working with the city to identify a date in the latter part the year when the celebration may be rescheduled.

“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,” parade Chairman Mac McCafferty said in a press release. “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.”

“We’re still hoping we will be able to do something in March, whether it’s a social media presence or something online,” said Ciara S. Crossey, communications chairwoman for the parade.

The earliest documented St. Patrick’s Day parade in Pittsburgh was in 1869.

“We’ve had a parade consistently for 71 years,” Crossey said — even if last year’s celebration was curtailed by the arrival of the pandemic.

“We had a Mass to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick, and some committee members took a lap around the block,” she said.

With about one-fifth of residents in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area able to claim Irish heritage, the city normally hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country, according to the parade committee.

“On a good weather day, we get about 250,000 spectators,” Crossey said.