Norfolk St. Patrick’s Day parade canceled for second year due to coronavirus

Norfolk — Norfolk’s beloved St. Patrick’s Day parade has been canceled for the second year in a row due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Last year, the parade was all set to go and people were already lining the route with cars and tents when officials pulled the plug just two days out, just as the coronavirus began spreading in Virginia and restrictions started being put into place.

This year, organizers have canceled the Ocean View staple preemptively. The cancellation was first reported by WAVY.

Tricia Martin works with Norfolk Parade, Inc., which took over running the annual parade from the Knights of Columbus a few years back.

She said planning for the parade typically starts by June of the previous year because those involved, from police to food vendors, need tons of lead time to pull off an event this size.

But the state is now reporting 5,000 new cases per day and that number continues to rise sharply, marking far and away the biggest spike seen in Virginia since the pandemic began here nearly a year ago.

With the numbers as high as they are and the restrictions in place, Martin said things are just too uncertain.

“As great it could be if everything could be lifted tomorrow, we know it won’t happen because the numbers are rising,” Martin said.

She said parade lovers should expect the event to be back in full swing next year.

“There is no plan for this to be it,” Martin said. “There are 100% plans in place for next year.”

Ryan Murphy, 757-739-8582, ryan.murphy@pilotonline.com