It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But, due to the Coronavirus still rapidly infecting people, many events that make this time wonderful have been cancelled. Christmas celebrations such as parades, concerts, shops and more have been forced to close for public safety and health concerns. While this can be a tragedy for most, including myself, it gives us all more of a reason to stay home and stay safe!

In our area

Quite a few events have been cancelled in New Castle so far. Unfortunately, the Light Up Night Parade was forced to be cancelled this year. Its large crowd and no social distancing would have made it very unsafe during this pandemic. The ice rink that has been set up downtown for the past few years could not open this year. Several events in the Pittsburgh area have been cancelled this year as well. For instance, Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night Parade had to be cancelled like ours. Canonsburg has decided to Cancel its Old Fashioned Christmas Festival as well. 

Virtual Events

On the bright side, countless events have decided to go virtual instead of shutting down! The Santa House in Pittsburgh is now Santa Zoom: Live from the North Pole to let kids still interact with Santa safely. Their 18th annual Gingerbread House Display and Competition is also going virtual! An online gallery of all participant’s displays was made available on November 20th. Krampusnact, the annual celebration of Krampus in Market Square, decided to hold a virtual event on December 5th. 

Conclusion

Although cancelling  these celebrations have affected the holiday spirit of many, it is important to make the most of what we can do safely. With cases of Covid-19 rising, it’s also for the best that these things have been cancelled. For everyone who doesn’t feel cheerful this season due to the pandemic, there are still dozens of virtual events to participate in and even more things to do at home. Happy holidays, and most importantly stay home and stay safe!