If you’re hustling around getting your errands and business along Greenville Avenue done between Blackwell Street and SMU Boulevard because of Saturday’s 41st Annual Dallas Mavs St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival , relax.
The parade and festival have just been canceled. But it’s not because of the weather forecast of rain and showers. The City of Dallas just quashed the annual event that attracts more than 100,000 due to concerns over COVID-19 (coronavirus).
In recent days, other St. Patrick’s Day parades have been canceled in Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland for the same reason.
According to Greenville Avenue Area Business Association (GAABA) Board Chair Kevin Vela, “Unfortunately, the Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival will not happen this year. We’re disappointed, but nothing is more important than the health of our fellow citizens. The Parade is a fantastic event and one of the most fun days of the year, but the purpose is much bigger. Every year, profits from the parade go toward scholarships for DISD seniors. Since we won’t have a parade this year, we are asking our great community to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign, so that we can continue the great tradition of awarding scholarships to deserving Dallas high school seniors. Our goal this year is to raise $41,000 in honor of what would have been our 41st parade.”
So, while there will be 90 floats, loads of barricades and portable toilets not being put to use, it will be interesting to see if the partying will unofficially commence on Lower Greenville.