2026 Naples St. Patrick's Day Parade cancelled, ending decades long run

NAPLES, Fla.—A decades-long Naples tradition will be coming to an end, as the St. Patrick's Day Foundation Inc. announced the cancellation of the 2026 parade, citing high costs imposed by the city. 

The Naples St. Patrick’s Day Foundation Inc. said in a statement on Wednesday that they were “enthusiastically preparing to celebrate the 50th annual (parade)” when they were informed that what they would have to pay to put on the event had gone from $4,000 to $42,000 in less than ten years.

Members of St. Patrick’s Foundation Inc. are volunteers and say they cannot afford the tenfold increase in fees.

Foundation president Kim Heaslip wrote in an email to WINK News.

“It is with deep regret and sincere disappointment that we announce we are no longer able to present the Naples St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the streets of downtown Naples.”

The foundation has presented the parade for decades and says they’re grateful to the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and the community who have helped to make the parade possible. They say they cannot “in good conscience, continue fundraising efforts to cover municipal and barricade enforcement costs required by the city.”

The St. Patrick’s Foundation went to the city council seeking a waiver of the thousands of dollars in fees, but the council unanimously declined the request.