Weather Delays Hartford's St. Patrick's Day Parade

It’s been three years since Hartford hosted the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. On Thursday, organizers said it’ll be delayed one more week due to the weather.

“The forecast for this Saturday isn’t just a drizzle. It’s a torrential downpour all day long,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. “It’s kind of a no-brainer to move it off this Saturday.”

Saturday, March 19th will instead be the day for revelers in green.

Organizers say the 50th anniversary of the parade will hold a lot of meaning.

“This is more than a parade this year. It’s more than just celebrating our Irish culture and heritage. It’s about celebrating life and celebrating a new life that’s coming out of COVID,” said Greater Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chair Eileen Moore.

It’s an important and big day for local businesses in Hartford, too. The foot traffic is something that’s been hard to come by in the city since the pandemic.

“It just gets people back into Hartford that haven’t been back for years, and then they come back,” said Salute owner James Cosgrove.

Cosgrove said the parade brings energy to the city. With several events still on for this weekend and the parade happening the weekend after, it’s two big days that restaurants and bars are happy to see.

Cosgrove said he’s expecting a lot of people coming in and thinks it makes sense to postpone the parade due to the weather. He hopes for sunny skies on the 19th.

He said he knows how much time and effort organizers put into it.

“It’s been two years, so they’ve been trying to plan for this for a long time. And I know they’re trying to make it even more special than normal. I just felt so bad for them, so I’m relieved they’re rescheduling. I knew they would. But again, hopefully we get really good weather on the 19th,” said Cosgrove.

The Yard Goats have slightly changed the time of their Fan Fest, since it is also taking place on the 19th. That event will now take place after the parade from 1 to 3 p.m.