Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade to be cancelled unless extra funds are found

The Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade is in deep jeopardy, a victim of its own success as organizers do not have the funds to pay for extra security for the 100,000 crowd who assemble at the Greenville Avenue location.

Organizers have given a deadline to February 17th to come up with the full amount of $100,000 to cover the entire cost of the parade, most of it for added security.

They have written to every business on the route and asked for $1,000 donation from each one to save the parade.

One of the key organizers Jake Levy, of Desperado's restaurant, a member of the committee said that increased crowds have greatly added to the cost of the event.

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"It's the biggest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the South," he said. "We rival New York, Boston, Chicago,"he told the Dallas Observer.

Levy said they are $40,000 short . The extra money pays for police, barricades and trash pickup he stated.

The parade organizers have made February 17th the cut off date.

The announcement has led to a major reaction with 93 comments left on the Dallas Observer comments page. One Julie C said she spoke for many Irish in Dallas "NO NO NO! I live for this every year!"

However, not everyone is bemoaning the loss of the parde if it happens.

“It’s been on short leprechaun legs for years,” Avi Adelman, a local activist, told the Dallas News. He said drunks and illegally parked cars on St. Patrick’s Day brings chaos to the neighbohood,
“There will be more people at the block party, probably earlier, and more crowds parking in the neighborhood,” he said.

If the parade is cancelled it will be the second one in Texas this year. Earlier the San Anotnio parade was also cancelled because of money woes said organizers.