Lakeland Christmas Parade Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Concerns
LAKELAND, FL (August 26, 2020) | The Junior League of Greater Lakeland, the organizers of the Lakeland Christmas Parade and the City of Lakeland have made a decision to cancel the 2020 Lakeland Christmas Parade due to the complications of COVID-19. The organizing committee has obvious concerns regarding the pandemic and the unknowns of what impacts the virus may have going forward.
Bob Donahay, Director of Parks & Recreation said, “Usually at this time the organizing committee is busy reviewing applications for Christmas Parade participants. Most years, we have over 100 applications going into September and right now we have 10 applicants and no marching bands.” He added, “It is important that we notify the public and those few parade participants that completed applications of the decision to cancel the event before they start spending significant funds on floats, decorations, and other parade accommodations.”
City Manager Tony Delgado said, “This year would have marked the 40th year of the Lakeland Christmas Parade. The parade usually kicks-off the holiday season in Lakeland and it is unfortunate that this hallmark event has been cancelled. As you can imagine, it is extremely difficult to plan for a large-scale event during a global health crisis.” He added, “Our hope is this all goes away and we can get back to the life we all enjoyed before the coronavirus.”
The City of Lakeland encourages the public to follow the CDC recommendations for social distancing and hygiene. The City of Lakeland has developed a dedicated webpage with a number of resources to help the community stay informed. You can find this site at www.lakelandgov.net/covid19.
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About Lakeland
The City of Lakeland was incorporated in January 1885 and has grown to become one of the largest inland communities in Florida. With a current population of over 100,000, Lakeland continues to grow. It has been designated a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census Bureau for over 30 years. With tourist attractions and gulf beaches only an hour away, Lakeland continues to capitalize on its ideal central Florida location along the I-4 corridor. The City owns and operates Lakeland Electric, the third-largest publicly owned utility in Florida and it was one of the first to offer power in the Sunshine State over 110 years ago.
For additional information about the City of Lakeland, please explore LakelandGov.net.
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