By Harriet Howard Heithaus
Jan 23, 2026 Updated Jan 23, 2026
Naples’ traditional St. Patrick’s Day Parade is likely to march down Fifth Avenue after all, thanks to a group of generous supporters — and the fact that Gary Price listens to his wife.
Four to five donors responded to Price’s calls and agreed to raise at least $43,000 to cover the cost of security barricades along the downtown parade route. Organizers voted Jan. 22 to cancel the parade after Naples City Council declined to waive the barricade fees, a new requirement recommended by Homeland Security officials who reviewed security for public gatherings.
Price offered the financial support to the Naples St. Patrick’s Foundation, whose president, Kim Heaslip, told him the parade would move forward if the funding could be secured. The foundation planned to meet Jan. 23 to make a final decision.
The Naples St. Patrick's Day Parade is the largest parade in the city, drawing more than 40,000 people downtown as participants or spectators, fielding between 110 and 120 units and 12 to 14 marching bands. The parade traditionally has raised money for local nonprofits and marching band programs. It is scheduled for March 14 this year. Price said his wife received several text messages from friends lamenting the parade’s cancellation.
“She told me, ‘Gary, you should fix this,’” Price said. He said he began calling friends, who agreed to help.
“It was personal friends who don’t even want their names out there,” he said. “They don’t have anything except that they love this town and they love the parade.”
As word spread, Price said businesses also began reaching out to contribute. He said there may be an opportunity to create a fund that could help pay for the parade in future years, but his immediate focus was on saving this year’s event, which marks the parade’s 50th anniversary.
“It’s an important event, something that has a lot of meaning for us, and that was sort of my fuel to help them get it saved and get it back on track,” he said.
Council’s unanimous decision to deny the fee waiver drew criticism, but council member Beth Petrunoff said Jan. 23 she views the outcome as a positive partnership between the city and the community.
The Naples High School Golden Eagle Marching Band performs during the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Fifth Avenue South. The annual parade marks its 50th anniversary this year.
“We have the security, we’re not raiding any taxpayer money, and the community stepped up to have an event everyone loves,” she said.
“It’s not our money,” she added. “It’s the taxpayers’ money, and our taxpayers sort of set our priorities. And we’ve got other priorities in front there.”
Petrunoff pointed to the city’s potential $2 billion investment in stormwater resiliency, which will be studied this spring, and said public safety concerns have changed the landscape for community events.
“It’s a changed world,” she said.
Petrunoff said Council could consider a future agreement to purchase security bollards that could be shared among event organizers and paid off over time. She will not participate in those discussions as her term expires Feb. 18, and she did not seek reelection.