Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

March 10, 2020

Hartford postpones St. Patrick’s Day Parade amid coronavirus concerns

HBJ File Photo U.S. Rep. John Larson (D-1st District) marching in the 2012 Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade, with former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (right) and former Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman (middle).
By Joe Cooper

Mirroring precautions taken in New Haven, the city of Hartford has postponed Saturday’s 49th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The city is currently working with parade organizers to determine whether the parade will be rescheduled or if another celebration will take place later this year, Mayor Luke Bronin said in a statement Tuesday morning. Other upcoming city events will also likely be canceled or postponed, Bronin said.

“Every year, this parade draws tens of thousands of people from the region to our Capital City, and we were looking forward to another busy weekend in Hartford,” he said. “Our priority is public health, and we are listening to the public health experts and making this decision given the size, type, and timing of this event.”
 
The announcement comes a day after New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker announced the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade would also be postponed as coronavirus cases mount in Connecticut and nationally.

Other St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, as of Tuesday morning, will continue as planned in Milford, New London, Bridgeport and Meriden, among other communities.

On Monday, Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed two Connecticut cases of coronavirus and announced a freeze on state employee travel and discouraged gatherings of more than 100 people. Legislative leaders also canceled meetings Thursday and Friday to allow a deep cleaning of the state Capitol and Legislative Office Building. 

The postponement in Hartford delivers another blow to the city’s event schedule.

Last month, Riverfront Recapture, the nonprofit overseeing public parks along the Connecticut River in Hartford and East Hartford, announced it canceled the annual Independence Day fireworks due, in part, to recent budget cuts and increasing concern about keeping the growing crowds safe.

Riverfront Recapture, however, will continue operating the rest of its annual events.

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

Related Content

Thumbnail Hartford announces plan for July 4 weekend basketball tournament
As major IT companies establish Hartford beachheads, political, business leaders see more room for growth
Bronin seeks to relax residency mandate for department heads
State looks to build greentech ‘innovation ecosystem,’ boost Hartford development with help from pandemic relief funds

0 Comments

Order a PDF