Even the luck of the Irish couldn't get by COVID-19.

Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Board of Directors announced last week that the annual, and very popular, Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade will be canceled in 2021. The cancelation is due to uncertainty around COVID-19, in the face of rising hospitalizations, and the unknown of what March may bring. 

“After heartfelt consideration, the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to not hold a March 2021 parade. This decision has been made due to the unlikelihood that a parade will be able to be held safely or legally in Denver in any capacity in the coming months,” the committee announced in a release on October 29. 

The committee pointed to current restrictions on special events and gatherings in the Denver area as playing a large part in the decision. It said that it doesn't expect those restrictions to relax enough by March 2021 to host the parade in the proper way. Because it requires significant manpower and money for those who put on and participate in the event, the committee felt it needed to make the decision early and ensure the safety of all involved. 

Board member Elizabeth Price stated “It takes many months of planning and hundreds of volunteer hours to put on the safe, fun parade that we produce for our city and state each year. In addition, the parade costs thousands of dollars to organize. We cannot, in good conscience, tie up these resources for an event that is likely to be canceled due to the pandemic and the city restrictions surrounding it.”

There is some hope that smaller Irish-related events will be held later in 2021 to make up for the parade cancelation, but that will be decided as the time comes closer.  

"The safety and well-being of participants and attendees are always first and foremost in the planning of this amazing event, which would have seen its 59th official parade if not for the 2020 & 2021 cancellations. Our hearts are saddened by this difficult but appropriate decision," the committee said. 

You can learn more about the parade cancelation, among other St. Patrick's Day-related information at DenverStPatricksDayParade.com.