Tucson's St. Patrick's Day parade and festival postponed to 2024

Tucson’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is canceled this year due to increased costs and obstructions to the parade route.

John Murphy, the president of the parade and festival, first announced that the parade was canceled but the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Armory Park would still be happening.Later, it was announced that both events would be canceled.

“Though our hearts are broken over this, we are down but not out,” Murphy said in a news release. “With broader community participation and more community involvement from all parties, we will bring Tucson a bigger and better St. Patrick’s Day parade and festival on Sunday, March 17, 2024.”

Murphy said there are numerous reasons for the cancellation of the festivities, including increased expenses for road closure messaging, barricades, permitting fees and insurance. Since COVID-19 caused the 2020 and 2021 parade to be canceled and decreased participation in the 2022 parade, Murphy said revenues are down and they can’t gamble the future and funds of the event.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Planters installed to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe along Sixth Avenue also contributed to the postponement.

Murphy said the planters obstruct the parade viewing area and make “a smooth flow of event traffic impossible.”