Annie Malone May Day Parade canceled for second year, festival replacing event

A festival will replace the historic procession as the agency battles building damage and funding cuts.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The historic Annie Malone May Day Parade in St. Louis has been canceled for the second consecutive year due to extensive flood damage to the Annie Malone Children and Family Services center's headquarters and recent government funding cuts. The agency will instead host a May Day Festival on May 17th to keep the spirit of the event alive while focusing on its core services and sustainability.

Why it matters

The May Day Parade is the second-largest African-American parade in the country and an important community event in St. Louis. The cancellation for two years in a row is deeply felt by many residents who see the parade as a unifying tradition. The challenges facing the Annie Malone agency highlight the financial pressures non-profits nationwide are experiencing due to budget reductions.

The details

The Annie Malone Children and Family Services center remains shuttered as crews work to repair extensive flood damage caused by broken pipes, a setback compounded by recent government funding cuts. While the physical building is out of commission, the agency is operating from a temporary location to ensure crisis services for children and older adults remain available. The decision to pivot to a festival model comes after the parade was initially canceled in 2025 due to funding, briefly reinstated, and then ultimately derailed by a tornado just two days before it was set to begin.

  • The May Day Parade was canceled in 2025 due to funding.
  • A tornado on May 16, 2025 derailed plans to reinstate the parade that year.
  • The Annie Malone May Day Festival will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

The players

Annie Malone Children and Family Services

A non-profit organization that provides critical social services and educational programs in St. Louis.

Keisha Lee

The CEO of the Annie Malone Children and Family Services center.

William C. Harris

A board member of the Annie Malone Children and Family Services center.

Shannon Johnson

A representative from the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), a partner organization of Annie Malone.

Anthony Redd Williams

The owner of Kode Redd Dance, a local dance company that has participated in the Annie Malone May Day Parade.

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What they’re saying

“Annie Malone is not shrinking in the face of a challenge. We are restructuring for sustainability. We are not protecting a parade, we are protecting children. Storms may shake buildings but they will not shake our mission.”

— Keisha Lee, CEO (ksdk.com)

“I just knew that it was something that everybody did and that everybody went to to have a good time. I knew that that was one place that brought multiple regions of the city all to one part of St. Louis, all on the same day, at the same time.”

— Anthony Redd Williams, Owner, Kode Redd Dance (ksdk.com)

“A traditional parade would have required an increase in cost. Instead we chose a model that allows us to hold the spirit of May Day, keeping sponsor visibility, keeping families safe and stewarding our resources responsibility.”

— William C. Harris, Board Member (ksdk.com)

“It's an opportunity to pivot. We're in full support of and we're just asking the community to get behind it.”

— Shannon Johnson, SLATE (ksdk.com)

What’s next

Annie Malone will launch a capital campaign this Sunday at Saint Louis University's II Monastero Banquet Center, located at 3050 Olive Street, from 6-9 p.m.

The takeaway

The cancellation of the historic Annie Malone May Day Parade for the second year in a row highlights the financial challenges facing non-profits nationwide, as the Annie Malone Children and Family Services center battles building damage and funding cuts. However, the agency's pivot to a festival model demonstrates its resilience and commitment to protecting its core services and community mission.