MANITOWOC (NBC 26) -- The annual holiday parade held in Manitowoc will not take place this year.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels announced Monday that multiple factors largely connected to COVID-19 led to the cancellation.
The mayor cited the large number of cases of coronavirus, both in Manitowoc and across northeast Wisconsin. With those high numbers come multiple concerns, such as hosting a large gathering. Numerous volunteers are needed to make the event possible, the mayor said Monday, and it was difficult to find groups willing to volunteer for a densely populated event.
"A fair amount of money and time is put into these parade entries by our local businesses," Mayor Nickels wrote on Facebook. "[M]any have suffered financial hardship this year, and we certainly don’t want to add to that, or not have people able to participate because of that."
Additionally, the mayor said many entries from previous years said they will not be participating this year due to COVID-19 concerns.
The mayor said a great deal of thought went into the decision, and is looking ahead for planning the parade in 2021.
