Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade cancelled for a second straight year

Courtesy Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Facebook page

There won’t be a 2021 edition of the Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Nags Head this March. It will the second year in a row North Carolina’s largest St. Patrick’s Parade has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Outer Banks restaurateur Mike Kelly, who has organized the parade that runs along the Beach Road for the past three decades, made the announcement Friday in an email to Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles.

This past week we reviewed the impact we felt Covid-19 would have on our 2021 St. Patrick’s Celebration. Given the surge the virus has displayed our parade committee has decided to postpone the March 14, 2021 “Wearing of the Green”. We have chosen March 20 as our 2022 date for the 31st annual “Kelly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade”.

The St. Pat’s Parade has been the largest annual event in northeastern North Carolina hosting 8,000-10,000 participants & attendees on a regular basis. The parade has featured regional entertainment, High School Bands, politicians, businesses, theme floats & an array of local talent & celebrities. In the observance of the celebration the parade and the attached festivities has become the annual kickoff for the beginning of the upcoming “Tourist Season”.

While disappointed about delaying the event, we are looking forward to an improved health and well being in not only northeastern North Carolina but throughout our State, The United States and Worldwide.

We thank the Dare County Visitors Bureau for it’s continued support on multiple levels.

The 2020 parade was cancelled just three days before it was scheduled to take place on March 15.

This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.

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