Baltimore St. Patrick's Parade Postponed To Ensure Health, Safety

BALTIMORE, MD — The St. Patrick's Day Parade in Baltimore has been canceled. Originally, it was slated to be held Sunday, March 15. All affiliated activities, including the sold-out Shamrock 5K, are also canceled, organizers told Patch Thursday.

The decision was made to "ensure the safety and health of the thousands of people who attend the Parade and Shamrock 5K each year," organizers said. This year was to mark the 65th annual event.

Charm City is not alone in its situation. The Ocean City St. Patrick's Day Parade scheduled for Saturday, March 14, has also been canceled, with organizers stating the "unknown risks associated with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and the recommendations by the State of Maryland and Center for Disease Control and Prevention outweigh our hope to host the annual parade." The D.C. St Patrick's Parade also postponed its celebration planned for Sunday.

There is a chance the parade in Baltimore may be rescheduled, according to the St. Patrick Parade organizers.

"Because of the fluid nature of the coronavirus situation, we are unable at this time to set a new date for the Parade," organizers of the Baltimore St. Patrick Parade said in a statement. "If and when we do, we will post the details on our website as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter feed, and will send emails to the people on our Parade general email list."

Here is the full statement from Baltimore St. Patrick Parade organizers about the cancellation:

The Board of Directors of St. Patrick Celebrations, Inc. has voted to postpone the 65th Baltimore St. Patrick Parade. In addition, Charm City Run Events has decided to cancel the Shamrock 5K Race that it manages for us. These decisions were not taken lightly, and were made thoughtfully to ensure the safety and health of the thousands of people who attend the Parade and Shamrock 5K each year.

Because of the fluid nature of the coronavirus situation, we are unable at this time to set a new date for the Parade. If and when we do, we will post the details on our website as well as on our Facebook page and Twitter feed, and will send emails to the people on our Parade general email list.

Shamrock 5K registrations will be deferred to the 2021 Parade. If you had registered for the Shamrock 5K, Charm City Run will contact you with further details.

We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to seeing you at the Parade in the not too distant future. We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy St. Patrick's Day.