A South Florida city says it will not host its long-running St. Patrick’s Day Parade next year. It points to a new state law that bars local governments from funding diversity, equity and inclusion activities, and the city’s Republican mayor is already working to save the event.
The City of Delray Beach announced Tuesday on Facebook that it will not host or fund its St. Patrick’s Day Parade or its annual Pride Festival in 2027. City officials said they made the decision after reviewing Senate Bill 1134, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this year and which takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The law bars local governments from funding or promoting certain DEI activities, including programs designed or carried out with reference to ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.
The St. Patrick’s Day cancellation hit a nerve. The parade along Atlantic Avenue honors first responders, has a 56-year history and draws thousands of locals and visitors every March. That makes it one of South Florida’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In 2025, the city produced or was affiliated with 21 annual events, from the parade to its 100-foot Christmas tree lighting and a Menorah lighting.
Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney, a Republican, quickly vowed that the parade would go on.
“The St. Patrick’s Day Parade isn’t just another parade,” Carney wrote. “It’s engrained in the DNA of the Delray Beach community.”
“With that, I’d like to announce that the city is working feverishly with multiple entities to ensure the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day parade goes on as scheduled!” he added.
Carney told WPTV that city officials quickly saw how the law’s definitions could apply.
“We learned very quickly that, within the scope of the definition of DEI, it could [impact both] the St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Pride festival,” he said.
The mayor’s answer comes from the private sector. Carney said the parade used to be a private event and that his own family helped pay for it in the past. He is now looking at letting private organizers and sponsors take the lead. He said he is confident the parade will go on as scheduled, though talks are still in the early stages. The city has not announced a final plan for either event.
DeSantis has led Florida’s push to dismantle DEI for several years and has already signed bans on such programs at state universities and agencies. The new law extends that effort to cities and counties and bars them from using public money to support Pride celebrations and other DEI initiatives.
The bill drew sharp opposition from Democrats and some local officials when it moved through Tallahassee this spring. Critics said it was written so broadly that it could sweep up city-sponsored St. Patrick’s Day parades, Chinese New Year events and Pride celebrations. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch called the legislation “ridiculous.”
Delray Beach’s announcement drew backlash online. Some residents called the parade one of the best days of the year in the city and asked how they could fight the decision.
For now, the fate of the city’s signature Irish celebration rests in private hands.
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