FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 26, 2021
Contact: Buck Mann
Parade Co-Chair
220 16th Street
Ocean City, MD 21842
410-289-6156
2021 Ocean City St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled Because of current state and local restrictions as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, the Delmarva Irish-American Club has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival. The parade has become a major event in Ocean City and over the years created the busiest weekend of the year between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Parade Co-Chair Buck Mann announced Jan. 25 that due to the pandemic, this was just not the right time to host the event.
“Many of our participants, including our own Stephen Decatur High School marching band, would be unable to participate, and the club believes that we must put the health, safety and welfare of our community first,” Mann said.
The DIAC is a non-profit organization that takes great pride in hosting the parade to celebrate this Irish tradition. The club has more than 350 members, and everyone who helps to put on the parade and festival is a volunteer.
The parade has not only become a tremendous economic generator for the town and local businesses, but also an important fundraiser for the club. All proceeds from the parade and the festival that takes place at the 45th Street Shopping Center are donated to local charities.
The club has given more than $500,000 in college scholarships for local high school graduates, sponsored a room at the Macky & Pam Stansell House of Coastal Hospice, purchased uniforms and sponsored trips for the Stephen Decatur school bands, donated $10,000 to Worcester County schools to support technology for students, supported youth recreation programs at Northside Park and contributed to many other local charities.
“Our members take great pride in being able to support and give back to our community,” Mann said. “Of course, we could not do all of this without the support of the Town of Ocean City and the local businesses that have supported our parade for more than 40 years.”
The parade normally takes place annually on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, with more than 120 participants, and has become the largest St. Patrick’s parade in the state and the only parade that ends at an Irish festival.
“We see visitors from all over the mid-Atlantic region line Coastal Highway, all in their green, to watch the parade. It has truly become a family event, and for many of these visitors it has become a family tradition,” Mann said. “We will begin immediately to plan for the 2022 parade and promise to return with the largest parade in the history of the event. So, hold the date of March 12, 2022! Thank you again to all the businesses, residents and visitors that continue to support our event. Slainte!”
