Pittston City Fire Chief James Rooney walks with his family during the 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Pittston. This year’s parade has been canceled, officials announced Thursday.
Times Leader file photo
PITTSTON — In the latest reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is reaching its first anniversary, Pittston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will not take place in person this year.
The announcement comes via a press release from Sarah Donahue, parade co-chairperson for the city of Pittston.
According to the release, the Committee of the Pittston City St. Patrick’s Day Parade will still have a number of replacement events, including a virtual 3.17 mile “Leprechaun race.” The city will also be decorated with Irish green by the city DPW and the parade committee.
A virtual parade will also be online, including photos from previous parades. Commemorative 2020 parade clothing will also be sold through Madtees. More information on all of these events will be available on the official parade Facebook page.
The Pittston parade has been held annually since 2014, with the 2021 parade set to be the city’s eighth. Last year, Pittston managed to be one of the only large-scale St. Patrick’s Day parades in our area, with both Wilkes-Barre and Scranton cancelling theirs as the pandemic rapidly grew worse last March.
Donahue said in the release that, while she is sad that the parade had to be canceled, she indicated that she recognizes the necessity.
“While sad and disappointed, obviously, we are so grateful that we were able to have our parade in 2020,” she wrote in the release. “We have some surprises up our green sleeve, so continue to look for announcements on our Facebook page and in the news. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the frontline workers who selflessly risk their lives daily battling this virus. We send our thoughts and prayers to those who have lost loved ones this past year.”
Reached this afternoon,Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown said a decision on his city’s parade has not been been made yet.
