Music, skaters & 'lots of dogs': Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls on despite new restrictions

The city has responded to this devastating incident by putting a new safety protocol in place at this year’s parade that prohibits motorized vehicles.

Dianne Enright, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director, has been a part of the parade’s volunteering committee for 23 years, and Director for 14 years.

"Just because it is a non-vehicle parade, it does not mean it won’t be fun. There will still be marching bands, music, and dancers," Enright said.

The 2023 Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade had motorized vehicles, but new restrictions were put in place – including requiring any drivers to be at least 21 years old and have only one passenger over the age of 18. All children had to be supervised, and parade vehicles had to be up to date with licenses, registration and insurance.

Last fall, as plans were in the works for the 2023 Raleigh Christmas Parade, the city moved to apply those limits to all parades.

The City of Raleigh told WRAL News on Friday that its staff is actively drafting revised parade safety guidelines. The city said it's currently accepting parade permit applications under the condition that the events do not include any moving vehicles, floats or similar elements.

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WRAL News Anchor Jeff Hogan is this year's parade grand marshal.

The parade started at 10 a.m. on the west side of the State Capitol Building at the intersection of Hillsborough and Salisbury streets. It will then go around the capitol before turning on Fayetteville Street and ending at Lenoir Street.

Parade organizers say there will be dancers, marching bands, skaters and "lots of dogs."

The official parade after-party will be held at Hibernian Pub, 311 Glenwood Ave. There will be live music, dancers and bagpipe performers.

For the first time Saturday, Raleigh hosted a St. Patrick's Day parade with no motorized vehicles.

That decision comes amid the ongoing fallout from the death of 11-year-old Hailey Brooks at the Christmas parade in 2022.

"I kinda like the floats not being here," Janelle Rukosky, Parade attendee, said.

This is the second Raleigh St. Patrick's Day parade since Brook's death.

Brooks was hit and killed by a runaway truck during a Raleigh Christmas parade.

Her death led to months of uncertainty as the city revised and re-revised its rules governing parades. This ended in an apology from City manager Marchell Adams-David in

November and a goal of developing a new set of rules governing parade safety by St. Patrick's Day.

In a statement to WRAL, a city of Raleigh spokesperson noted city staff are "actively drafting revised parade safety guidelines" and have been in talks with officials in Pasadena and New York as recently as last week.

That spokesperson confirmed that no timeline exists for when new rules could be released but that all parades in Raleigh are currently permitted "under the condition that the events do not include any moving vehicles, floats, or similar elements."

"We were at the Christmas parade about a block away, so we understand it," Angela Clark, parade attendee, said.

The lack of floats is no problem for Clark and her family

"The floats add something, but we'll enjoy it either way," Clark said.