Newport City Council To Consider Moving St. Patty's Day Parade

NEWPORT, RI — The Newport St. Patrick's Day parade is once again in limbo. With social distancing measures still in place and large gatherings forbidden, the City Council is considering rescheduling the Newport tradition to the fall.

At this point, a formal decision has not been made, a spokesperson for the city said. The City Council is set to take up a request from the parade's organizers at their meeting next week, asking for permission to reschedule the parade to a later date.

Last year's parade cancellation was a hot debate in Rhode Island. Coming just weeks after the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in the state, it was unclear at first if it could be safely held. Eventually, the City Council voted to revoke the parade's permit, a decision supported by Gov. Gina Raimondo.

"The governor's top priority is containing the spread of coronavirus, and she is recommending that Newport postpone or cancel the parade in the interest of safety," a spokesperson for Raimondo said at the time.

As of now, the parade organizer's official Facebook page says the 2021 parade will be held March 13. In October, James "Jimmy" Winters was named this year's Grand Marshal, and the 2021 parade will be dedicated to the memory of Thomas Peter Lalli.

Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously stated that the parade was dedicated to the memory of Peter Lalli.