Bucks County St. Patrick's Day Parade Won't Be Rescheduled

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Bucks County's St. Patrick's Day Parade was canceled for three straight years before returning from its absence last year.

For two years, the parade was put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And just when it was about to start up again, inclement weather wiped it out the following year.

The parade made a grand return for 2023 and it was supposed to mark its 35th anniversary this Saturday.

But the Bristol Township parade was called off Saturday morning when a man killed three people at two separate locations in Falls Township and then was in a standoff at a Trenton, N.J., home before being taken into custody later that day.

Andre Gordon Jr. faces 32 charges in Bucks County and carjacking and other offenses in New Jersey in connection with the shooting spree.

"Regrettably the parade was canceled due to a township emergency," parade organizers said Saturday in a Facebook post.

The parade, though, will not be rescheduled. Organizers said it will return next year instead.

On Sunday, the parade committee and Grand Marshal Steve Aldrich extended "our deepest sympathies" to everyone impacted by the shootings.

The parade committee said it received an alert from Falls Township Police Saturday morning just moments before hundreds of marchers, including many community and children organizations.

The parade procession was set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, starting on New Falls Road from Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in Bristol Township and heading down to the Levittown American Ball Fields opposite the Thornridge Shopping Center in Falls Township.

"Their quick response enabled parade participants and those gathered to celebrate time to get to safety," parade organizers said. "What should have been a joyous occasion was darkened by the actions of a single individual."

Last year's parade was the first in three years, with two being canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 parade wiped out by inclement weather.