Atlantic City To Miss St. Patrick’s Day Parade For A 4th Year
This year marks the fourth year in a row that Atlantic City will not have its St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The first two years (2020 and 2021) were held off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following years, 2022 and now 2023 are being held off due to structural concerns from the city’s boardwalk. Per NJ Advance Media, “the boardwalk’s condition prompted the city to propose an alternative route last year that parade organizers rejected, citing additional costs and logistical hurdles.”
The Atlantic City St. Patrick’s Day Committee has not yet submitted an application for the parade this year, a city spokesperson said.
“We would be open to holding a St. Patrick’s Day parade next year, or again down the line, if interest is expressed,” said the spokesperson, Andrew Kramer.
John Exadaktilos, the owner of the Ducktown Tavern, spoke to the outlet about the hazardous conditions of the boardwalk including “soft spots” and debris that caught on fire under it Friday night.
“It’s over one hundred years old,” Exadaktilos said of the boardwalk. “This problem is nothing that’s new. It’s something that’s been known about for many years,” Exadaktilos said.
Unfortunately, there is not a set date on when construction can begin to fix these issues with the boardwalk.
“We hope to have the structural concerns fixed in the near future … but they do remain intact at this time as we seek additional funding to resolve the issues,” Kramer said.
Exadaktilos said that he is staying positive that the parade will eventually return to Atlantic City once the boardwalk gets repaired.
“It’s a great draw for our tourists, our joggers, just our basic walkers. It’s a shame. Unfortunately, they need to fix that boardwalk,” he said.
Atlantic City’s parade was first held in 1986.