Bad Luck Of The Irish As South Side Parade Called Off

CHICAGO — South Side Irish Parade organizers were told Wednesday morning that the St. Patrick's Day parade in Beverly would not be allowed to march this weekend over concerns about the new coronavirus.

"Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade is one of the community’s most anticipated and celebrated traditions,” said Alderman Matt O’Shea, 19th Ward. “While this decision will be disappointing to many, minimizing the potential for COVID-19's spread must be our top priority.”

St. Patrick's Day parades scheduled for downtown and on the North Side, and the annual tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green, also were cancelled this weekend. City officials have said there's a chance the events could be rescheduled. No make-up dates have been set.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted "St. Patrick's Day Weekend events have been postponed as part of precautionary measures to protect health and safety."

South Side parade organizers issued a statement saying that the annual parade won't return until next year.

"Out of an abundance of caution to contain the spread of COVID-19, the City of Chicago has made the decision to postpone many of the St. Patrick’s Day events this weekend, including our Parade. While we are disappointed in this development, we well understand the City of Chicago Department of Public Health’s prudent concerns and the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that prompts this decision to help keep citizens safe and healthy," organizers wrote.

"The South Side Irish Parade Committee hopes everyone will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage in a safe and family-friendly way this year and we look forward to March 14, 2021, when the largest community celebration of St. Patrick’s Day outside of Dublin will step off once again."

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So far, the Illinois Department of Public Health has reported 19 cases. County public health officials have said the risk for contracting the disease remains low. No one had died in Illinois from the virus as of Wednesday morning, officials said.

One disappointed parade organizer called the decision to cancel the parade a "ridiculous" and politicized response despite the reportedly low risk of spreading the disease in Chicago.

"Are they going to cancel the elections, where people will be gathering in small spaces? It's ridiculous," one organizer who did not want to be named said. "I can't wait to see what [Pritzker and Lightfoot] are going to say to the sports team owners. Are they going to cancel their games?"

Chicago has dyed the river green and held a St. Patrick's Day parade downtown since 1962. The South Side Irish Parade started in 1979, was cancelled in 2009 after 54 people were arrested, and returned to Western Avenue in Beverly three years later.

About 58 percent of 1,481 Patch readers who responded to an online poll said they thought Chicago's St. Patrick's Day parades should continue as planned.