Delray Beach Drops 2027 St. Patrick's Day Parade and Pride Event Under Florida DEI Law

The city of Delray Beach, Florida, a community near Fort Lauderdale, will not host its annual St. Patrick's Day parade or its Pride event in 2027. The city said it reached that decision because of a new state law on diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI, which covers programs aimed at widening opportunity for different groups of people. The City of Delray Beach announced the decision, and The Guardian reported on 12 November 2026 that the city had also scrapped its Pride event citing the same law.

City officials said the state law restricts "certain programming and activities designed or implemented with reference to ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity." They determined that the city was "legally prohibited from organizing, funding, or promoting these events in 2027." The St. Patrick's Day parade regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

The law is formally called Senate Bill 1134, or SB 1134. Governor Ron DeSantis signed it in April, and it takes effect on 1 January, according to The Guardian. The governor's office said he signed it in Jacksonville, Florida, at the same time as a second bill, HB 1217. SB 1134 bars counties and cities from funding, promoting or carrying out DEI initiatives. It also prohibits local governments from setting up DEI offices, officers or programs, and bars taxpayer money from going to DEI work, including work done by outside contractors. Grant recipients must certify that public funds will not be used to advance DEI, and the law includes penalties for officials who violate it.

The law does not apply to events held on federal holidays that celebrate ethnic diversity, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day. The parade and Pride event are not held on those dates.

Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney said he was working with city officials to bring back the 2027 St. Patrick's Day parade with private funding.

The same legislation package included HB 1217, which the governor's office said prevents state and local governments from adopting or enforcing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies, including carbon taxes. The bill also bans participation in carbon trading programs such as cap-and-trade agreements, blocks taxpayer funds for organizations promoting net-zero policies, and requires annual reporting to check compliance.