Delray Beach Cancels St. Patrick’s Day Parade Due to State DEI Law

St. Patrick’s Day parades in Florida face unexpected cancellation as municipal leaders grapple with state compliance over diversity restrictions.

The city of Delray Beach announced the cancellation of its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and June LGBTQ Pride events, pointing to a state law taking effect on Jan. 1 that restricts local government involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, The Washington Post reported.

• The city government cited state compliance rather than budgetary constraints for halting the parade.
• Officials said that private organizations may step in to sponsor and run the community events moving forward.
• State Governor Ron DeSantis disputed the city’s interpretation, calling the cancellation a political stunt.

“This decision is not budgetary in nature, nor is it the result of a local policy decision. It is a matter of compliance with state law,” the city of Delray Beach said in a statement online.

Delray Beach is engaging in “malicious compliance.” What they are doing is not mandated by Florida law. It’s just an attempt to make a political point — a point that legacy media will no doubt try to amplify. We’ve seen these stunts throughout the years. Rinse and repeat. https://t.co/vZY2oL6SXF

— Post by @RonDeSantis on X

The legislation restricts municipalities from promoting or hosting activities related to DEI or based on identity markers such as race, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Local officials who violate the measure could face civil penalties, according to the city.

The city lawyer for Delray Beach told the mayor that government-sponsored cultural celebrations not recognized as national holidays could run afoul of the new anti-DEI law, KMUW reported.

“I’ve said it’s engrained in the DNA of Delray and I do mean that. It’s one of our signature events,” Mayor Tom Carney told NPR in coverage cited by KMUW.

Carney said that the city is working with multiple entities to ensure the 2027 parade continues through private sponsorship. The event was privately run until about eight years ago.

Photo: kmuw.org

“The city is working feverishly with multiple entities to ensure the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day parade goes on as scheduled!” Mayor Tom Carney said in a Facebook post recorded online.

Governor Ron DeSantis accused Delray Beach of weaponizing the measure for political purposes. “We’ve seen these stunts throughout the years. Rinse and repeat,” he wrote in a post on X.

DeSantis argued that St. Patrick’s Day does not fall under the legislation passed by the Republican-led state legislature and signed in April.

Event	Previous Status	Current Status
St. Patrick’s Day Parade	City-sponsored since approximately eight years ago	Canceled by city; seeking private sponsors
Pride Events	City-sponsored	City sponsorship withdrawn for June events

“What they are doing is not mandated by Florida law,” the governor wrote on X, as reported by KMUW. “It’s just an attempt to make a political point — a point that legacy media will no doubt try to amplify.”