Greensburg nixes Holiday Parade over coronavirus concerns

The holiday season in Greensburg will be a little less merry in 2020. Go figure.

The city canceled its traditional Holiday Parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We couldn’t guarantee people’s safety,” said Mayor Robert Bell. “With the spike in covid cases, not just in Greensburg but in Westmoreland County, we felt it was in the best interest of public safety not to have the parade.”

There’s no feasible way to limit attendance or ensure social distancing at the parade, according to recreation facilities manager Trudy Ivory. “Inviting large groups of people to a parade would not be productive in following CDC guidelines,” Ivory wrote in an email.

The parade draws about 8,000 spectators.

This year’s event would have been the 29th annual parade.

The parade is usually held in late November. Participants march down Main Street, leading the way for Santa Claus, who provides the grand finale.

Last year’s event featured more than 100 floats, bands, dance companies and fire trucks.

Bell said it was a difficult choice to cancel the parade, but that it was the best one to protect residents.

“It has been a tradition for a long time,” he said. “If I had to make a decision based on my heart, I would want to have the holiday parade.”

The city posted on its Facebook page it is looking into “alternative plans” to celebrate the season.

Westmoreland County is in the midst of a coronavirus case surge that began in early October. The county is seeing an average of about 60 new cases a day.

Greensburg’s is the latest of several local parades to be canceled because of the pandemic, joining the Hometown Christmas Parade in Verona and Oakmont, as well as Pittsburgh’s Columbus Day Parade.