Abington’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade had been postponed after the Select Board withdrew permission to host it next week, citing concerns with lingering snow banks.
Instead of being held on Sunday, March 15, revelers will line Abington’s streets on Sunday, April 12. The date switch means organizers are actively confirming bands, businesses, and other participants can still march the two-mile parade route.
“We have been busy contacting all those who agreed to be in the parade, as well as a few who were unable to go on the 15th,” parade founder Jack Bailey told Abington News.
“As of yet we do not have answers from everyone. We have lost one band and one business, but most of those we’ve contacted have been happy with the date change.”
The Abington St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been a regular fixture on the town’s social calendar since 1980, drawing thousands of spectators to the parade route.
However, it’s also been a snowy and cold winter. The region just finished digging out from a blockbuster blizzard on February 23, which dumped more than two feet of snow on top of the remnants of another snowstorm back in January.
“I think a reasonable and prudent person would realize there’s too much snow out there,” Select Board Member Kevin Donovan said.
“I don’t see how we’re going to have enough room for a, people to park their cars, and b, to have people stand on the sidewalks, if at all. And I have this horrific vision of kids standing on top of snow banks.”
The rest of the board agreed and adopted Donovan’s motion to pull the parade permit and reschedule it for April.
Scituate has also voted to postpone its St. Patrick’s Day Parade until April 12.
It’s the first time the Abington parade has been postponed in years. Even during the historic winter of 2015, the parade went on as scheduled with piles of snow along the route.
Bailey said the conditions along the parade route justifies the postponement.
“Many of the parking lots needed for the parade lineup haven’t been plowed and the streets are in tough shape,” he said.
Select Board Chair Roger Woods said with the town’s budget stretched tight, it doesn’t have extra money to clear snow away from the route.
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