Bradenton OKs DeSoto Grand Parade. That doesn’t mean it won’t be canceled by COVID-19
The Bradenton City Council approved a permit to allow the DeSoto Grande Parade this year but noted that the event might still be called off due to public safety concerns amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the parade last year, and leaders of the Hernando DeSoto Historical Society are hoping for a return in 2021. If the pandemic continues to spread in the coming months, they say they’re willing to cancel it again.
“It’s a process and y’all are our first stop,” Lynn Horne, the organization’s president, told the council at Wednesday morning’s meeting. “We need you to agree with letting us go forward. We will gladly cancel again this year, but we have to go through the steps.”
Several permits and permissions are required to throw the county’s largest parade. The council voted unanimously to approve the event, which runs along a 1.75-mile portion of Manatee Avenue. Council members said they were happy to support the program and trusted the organization to make the best safety decision at a later date.
Councilman Patrick Roff pulled the item from the council’s consent agenda in order to discuss the situation publicly. Other council members agreed that the permit approval deserved a transparent explanation.
“Public safety trumps everything,” Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey said.
“We’re not just willy nilly approving something that we can’t pull back,” Mayor Gene Brown added. “It is going to be in conjunction with all of us to make sure we do it right.”
The historical society is still planning to host the parade on Saturday, April 24. The Hernando DeSoto Historical Society did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether masks would be required at the event, but in a letter to the city, organizers said they plan to include “sufficient safety precautions.”
“We sincerely appreciate your help in moving this through the channels and ask that you keep your fingers crossed, along with us, that sufficient COVID precautions/vaccinations are in place to (ensure) a safe event,” Tom Murphy, the parade co-chairman, wrote.
The onset of the novel coronavirus outbreak last March forced the organization to cancel several events, including the Grand Parade, the Children’s Parade and the Bottle Boat Regatta.
“This has been a very somber time for us at the Hernando DeSoto Historical Society, as the DeSoto Heritage Festival is the pinnacle of our year,” Former DeSoto president Pat Bustle wrote in a letter last year announcing the organization’s decision. “We will miss all of you who were unable to celebrate with us this year and will be excited to see you next time!”
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 4:10 PM.
