Overview
- The 2026 cancellation marks a second straight year without the parade, and organizers have not announced any replacement event.
- Organizers say uncertainty about immigration enforcement has made sponsors wary and complicated meeting city permit requirements.
- The festival began in 2005, paused during the pandemic and in 2017, and drew more than 15,000 people in 2024.
- Recent enforcement context includes five men arrested in a South Philadelphia park in September and a reported rise in federal detainees to above 65,000 since the president’s reelection.
- Community leaders describe a palpable sense of rejection and a loss of cultural space, while expressing hope for the event’s return.