Scituate’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off nearly a month later than planned after Select Board members agreed Tuesday night that heavy snow and towering snowbanks make the traditional March date unworkable.
The parade, originally scheduled for March 15, will now take place April 12, barring any unforeseen issues. The final step will be to obtain the final signoffs from public safety officials.
Parade organizer Ed Kelley told board members the accumulation of snow from recent storms has left little room for spectators and created logistical challenges along the route.
“I don't think there's going to be enough space to have a parade in two weeks,” Kelley said.
Kelley pointed to snowbanks as high as 15 feet in staging areas and along Central Park, as well as limited parking and transportation access. Even if sidewalks were cleared, he said, large stretches of lawn typically used by spectators remain buried.
“The issue is the snow. [There’s] no place for people to stand,” he said.
Town Administrator James Boudreau said clearing sidewalks and the harbor area would not solve the broader problem, noting that much of the snow sits on private property and lawns that the town cannot easily address.
Board members acknowledged that pushing the event into April is not ideal but agreed it is the safest course. Kelley referenced a similar postponement in 2015, when heavy snowfall forced the parade into April.
“This happened in 2015 when we had a bazillion inches of snow and we moved to April and it was a beautiful day and everybody said you should do this every year,” Kelley said.
Despite the postponement, several related events remain on the calendar. Kelley said the launch of “We Love a Parade”, a hazy IPA from Untold Brewing and the annual Grand Marshal’s dinner will proceed as scheduled in March.
Kelley expressed optimism that the April parade will still draw strong crowds, even if some snow remains.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it,” he said.
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