Pandemic St Patrick’s Day: Bill de Blasio leads early-morning parade through deserted NYC streets

St. Patrick’s Day revelers partied into the night Wednesday as bars were packed across the U.S. – even as health officials warned that the mega events could spread COVID-19.

Ireland might have been left green with envy with pubs in Dublin shut because of the coronavirus.

But US drinkers started lining up in the early hours to pack bars across the country: In Alabama, people stuffed the bars in college town Tuscaloosa. Thousands of partygoers descended on Savannah, Georgia as part of a six-day event and people thronged Bourbon Street in New Orleans decked out in green.

Thousands of tourists packed the streets of Magic Kingdom Park at Disney World in Florida to watch mini-parades of their favorite characters on Wednesday after the company stopped hosting large parades that drew large crowds and replaced them with the randomly timed mini-parades to keep crowds form forming.

Revelers gathered inside and outside bars from Los Angeles to New York, celebrating Irish heritage with a day of drinking despite warnings from the CDC and health officials that holiday events could become ‘super-spreaders’ if mask-wearing and social distancing are ignored.

A huge stream of people were seen waiting outside the Innisfree in Tuscaloosa, Alabama ahead of its 6am opening determined to start the day off with green beers in what the Irish pub promised will be the ‘biggest and longest day of the year’. 

Revelers appeared unconcerned about warnings issued by Alabama public health officials this week to avoid indoor gatherings with non-household members during the holiday or the threat of six tornadoes which were reported on the ground in the state by mid-afternoon, as they shunned masks to crowd inside the bar and the tents outside.

Over in Savannah, nearly 20 bars and restaurants have already been cited for violations after an influx of tourists landed on the city to celebrate at the weekend despite the official parade being canceled. 

With around 80 percent of US states now allowing indoor dining – and most of the remainder allowing outdoor dining – bars and restaurants in cities with large Irish-American communities also drew in customers looking to celebrate after last year’s events fell foul to the pandemic.

Partygoers were out celebrating in bars in New York, Boston and Philadelphia while Las Vegas earned its nickname as ‘the city that never sleeps’ with the strip already packed with drinkers by mid-morning.

Nevada’s ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ plan remains on schedule and Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an emergency directive on Friday that loosened the state’s coronavirus restrictions – allowing casino floors to open at 50% capacity on Monday.

Several cities have vowed to crack down on huge parties as the nation continues to battle the pandemic and plow ahead with its vaccination program.  

Historic parades in New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia were canceled or shifted to virtual events as the pandemic overshadowed the day for a second year running.   

But, while the official celebrations certainly look different to those in the pre-2020 world, that hasn’t stopped Americans heading for reopened bars and restaurants for a day of drinking. 

It’s a stark difference to scenes in the motherland of Ireland, where pubs stayed shut along Dublin’s famous Temple Bar and the closest thing to a celebration was a light display along the River Liffey. 

Alabama officials urged residents to celebrate the holiday virtually or only with people of the same household, warning that close contact ‘especially when combined with increased alcohol use’ could fuel a rise in the virus spreading.  

‘ADPH is advising against close, indoor gatherings with non-household members ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, in an effort to prevent further coronavirus spread,’ the Alabama Department of Public Health said this week. 

‘The risk of close contact with others, especially when combined with increased alcohol use, can lead to asymptomatic spread. The safest way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year is to gather virtually or with people who live with you.’

The state was also rocked by a severe weather outbreak on Wednesday with several areas under tornado watches as multiple twisters struck land. 

But maskless revelers didn’t let the pandemic or the weather get in the way of their celebrations as they flocked to bars in Tuscaloosa from the early hours. 

Over in Savannah, partiers dressed in green also lined up outside bars for a day of drinking after a raucous weekend that saw establishments slapped with violations and city officials desperately dish out thousands of masks. 

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said Tuesday he was ready to hand down a curfew if Wednesday’s behavior wasn’t better than the weekend while Police Chief Roy Minter said law enforcement was also ready to spring into action.  

Savannah is known for holding the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the South but fears are growing that the holiday has become a ‘super spreader’ event this year. 

More than 50,000 tourists were expected to descend on the city last weekend with massive crowds gathering at bars and restaurants for the start of a six-day St Patrick’s Day festival. 

City-run celebrations, including its annual parade, were cancelled for the second year running but the Plant Riverside, a new $375 million hotel and nightlife development, launched a huge six-day event with live music starting Friday.  

The city’s top tourism officials and business owners said hotels and bars were the busiest they’ve been in the past year.

‘The ‘rona might not be done with us, but there are a lot of people who are done with the ‘rona,’ Jessica Walden, co-owner of the bar Bay Street Blues near Savannah’s riverfront, told News Press. 

‘They’re ready to move on and live their lives and be vaccinated.’ 

Another bar owner said the boost in business was the ‘shot in the arm’ the industry needed. 

‘The masks are starting to fade. Some people were coming in and saying, ‘I forgot my mask, but that’s OK because I’ve already got my vaccine,” said said Patrick Godley, owner of the 17Hundred90 inn and restaurant. 

‘It was the shot in the arm we needed. This one really boosted morale,’ he added. 

In the downtown historic district, hotels were 90 percent full at the weekend.    

Johnson said city officials were trying to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases by giving out an estimated 18,000 masks over the weekend and putting police officers on the streets to help enforce restrictions. 

He described the festival plans were ‘a slap in the face’ to the city’s efforts to curb coronavirus infections as he warned anyone caught breaking the mask mandate could face $500 fines.  

Manhattan’s iconic Irish bars in New York City welcomed indoor diners at 35 capacity – a far cry from last year’s events when the city was on the cusp of the crisis.  

On March 17 2020, bars, restaurants and schools had just shuttered and the mayor and Governor Andrew Cuomo were squabbling over whether to issue a shelter in place.  

Within days, much of the nation was plunged into lockdown and New York was on track to be the virus epicenter of the world.     

Now, close to the one-year anniversary of the day COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, residents in the Big Apple are enjoying something closer to a semblance of normalcy with bars and restaurants open at limited capacity.  

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio led a small early-morning procession through the streets of the Big Apple at 6:30 am Wednesday as they marched through the deserted Kips Bay area of Manhattan after keeping the details of the event under wraps to avoid crowds gathering.

The tradition is one of the few to stand firm this year as the city’s huge green parade of floats and marching bands will be absent once again – one year after the 250-year celebration became one of the first casualties of the pandemic.   

De Blasio praised the ‘spirit of our Irish community’ as the early morning procession started at Lexington Avenue and 26th Street and made its way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. 

The mayor held a banner reading ‘St. Patrick’s Day Parade’ alongside other organizers as they walked through the streets of the city.

An 8:30am mass was then held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and broadcast online.  

‘Happy #StPatricksDay, New York City! This morning’s parade may have looked a little different, but the spirit of our Irish community shone through all the brighter,’ the mayor’s office tweeted.

De Blasio later announced he was declaring March 17 2021 Malachy McCourt Day in the City of New York, in honor of the Irish-American actor, pub owner and politician who once ran for governor. 

Parade chairman Sean Lane told Irish Central the day was a ‘great day for the Irish’ as they revived part of the tradition which was brought to an abrupt end for the first time in 250 years last year.   

However, much of the festivities were virtual this year.

Traditionally, the parade starts at 11 am at 44th Street, marching up Fifth Avenue past St. Patrick’s Cathedral to 79th Street and finishing around 5pm at the American Irish Historical Society at East 80th Street. 

Around 150,000 marchers are watched by around two million people in the streets in a normal year.   

The parade started back in 1762 as a marching band of Irish expats and Irish members of the military stationed in New York.

At the time, wearing the color green was banned in Ireland so those over the other side of the pond reveled in the freedom to embrace their heritage. 

This year, the virtual parade honored first responders and essential workers who helped battle the pandemic and was broadcast from 10am on the parade website, featuring photos and footage of parades from previous years.    

There was then an hourlong show streamed on Facebook at 11 am with performances by singers Andy Cooney and Moya Brennan. 

A TV special in conjunction with the Catholic Faith Network was shown at 5 pm with interviews with Parade leaders, Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the 2021 Parade honorees.

This will be followed by an NBC St Patrick’s Day special at 7 pm. 

While officials have opted for pared-back parades and official celebrations, the day may offer some much-needed income to the hard-hit bars and restaurants of New York which were only able to reopen indoor dining at a limited capacity last month.  

The National Retail Federation estimates the day will bring in around $5.1 billion spending across the US – around  $1 billion less than the 2020 pre-pandemic estimate but still a sizable amount for the industry. 

That said, there are concerns that the day will fuel a relaxation of COVID-19 precautions and undo some of the progress made in recent months in battling the virus.  

The owner of 170-year-old Manhattan landmark McSorley’s Old Ale House told Bloomberg he is urging customers to stay away in an effort to prevent a crowd of people.  

‘I don’t want a crowd outside the bar. The last thing we want is for the city to hold us up as an example as a superspreader,’ said Gregory de la Haba. 

Bars and restaurants are still under pandemic orders that they can only serve alcohol with food and must close at 11pm.

Capacity is limited to 35 percent, rising to 50 percent two days after the holiday.

Early risers were seen flocking to Irish pubs in Philadelphia for opening time Wednesday morning to enjoy green pitchers of booze from behind plexi-glass screen dividers in place due to COVID-19. 

At the McGillin’s Olde Ale House – the oldest continuously operating tavern in the city – a full Irish menu was on offer for patrons including including shepherd’s pie and an Irish potato martini as it kept its tradition of dyeing beer green for the holiday.  

In New Orleans, city officials warned revelers that they will be clamping down on St. Patrick’s Day block parties and parades that flout COVID-19 restrictions and some of the cities most popular Irish pubs have vowed to stay closed in a bid to prevent huge crowds gathering.   

Tracey’s Restaurant and Bar, Finn McCool’s Irish Pub and Parasol’s Restaurant and Bar will voluntarily stay closed Wednesday to avoid drawing in huge crowds and risking being slapped with COVID-19 violations. 

Tracey’s was briefly shut down by the city in September for violating COVID-19 guidelines and the pub owners are concerned of a repeat of last year’s events where police broke up crowds at pubs and bars despite the parade being canceled and concerns mounting over the virus. 

The decision to stay shut comes despite St Patrick’s Day usually being one of their most popular days in their calendar year as well as being just days after the city increased indoor capacity for bars and restaurants. 

City leaders this week announced new St. Patrick’s Day guidelines for restaurants and bars including that restaurants can only stay open until 9 pm instead of the current 11 pm closing time. Bars meanwhile can stay open until midnight.

Over in Boston, home to a large Irish-American community, Irish pubs have prepared for smaller revelries this year as a ban on live singing marks a blow to their tradition. 

‘As is a great tradition, singing and live music is also prevalent in a lot of our great Irish pubs,’ Bob Luz, president of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, told Boston.com.  

‘We can hear the music, you just can’t sing to the music. To me, music without singing is like peanut butter without jelly. They go better together than they do independently.’ 

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced last month that indoor performances and live music would not resume until March 22 – the Monday after St Patrick’s Day celebrations. 

However, restaurants and bars in Boston and the whole of Massachusetts no longer have a limit on the number of patrons so long as people are seated six feet apart from other tables, groups are limited to six people and there is a 90-minute time limit on dining. 

This marks a major difference to last year when the parade was axed and Governor Charlie Baker ordered a three-week lockdown starting March 17. 

Meanwhile, in Chicago this year, the Chicago River was dyed a bright shade of green Saturday in a surprise move, after Mayor Lori Lightfoot reversed an earlier decision not to tint the waterway for a second year in a row. 

The longstanding tradition was axed last year for the first time since 1962 to avoid crowds gathering and Lightfoot at first planned the same this year. 

She came around to the idea in the hope it would help lift spirits. 

Other parts of the US have much more lax rules around COVID-19 – and in turn St Patrick’s Day celebrations. 

Celebrations also began at the weekend in Florida which has drawn thousands of spring breakers in recent weeks and has no mask mandate in place.  

The annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Run in Pensacola went ahead as normal Saturday with about 2,400 maskless runners participating the annual tradition.

While there are concerns that celebrations could get out of hand in parts of the US, there appears to be no risk of that back in Ireland where pubs were shut for another St Patrick’s Day. 

Dublin Health Minister Simon Foster warned on Tuesday: ‘What I would suggest tomorrow – the most patriotic thing people can actually do in terms of our national battle against Covid-19 is stick to the public health advice.’

Instead, an ‘Orchestra of Light’ of 500 drones lit up the River Liffey in Dublin last night with shamrocks and harps. 

The biggest event came in the form of an anti-lockdown protest held at Herbert Park.

Meanwhile, over in Northern Ireland, people gathering to celebrate at the Botanic Gardens in violation of lockdown rules were moved on by authorities.