Springfield’s Holiday in the City canceled due to coronavirus concerns

An annual holiday event for downtown Springfield has been cancelled due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Holiday in the City was scheduled to be held this year on Dec. 5. Instead it will now resume as a live event in 2021, according to a news release from the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“In light of the sustained impact of (the coronavirus pandemic) and continued restrictions on large gatherings, our committee is compelled to cancel all live elements of our traditional Holiday in the City event,” said Chris Schutte, the vice president of destination marketing for the Chamber of Greater Springfield.

“We are sad to report that this cancellation extends to SantaLand at the Heritage Center, live entertainment, children’s activities and the traditional fireworks show,” he added.

However, there are currently plans to instead purchase and install a large quantity of holiday lights and decorations in downtown Springfield for this year, the news release stated.

“Our goal is to create a ‘Winter Wonderland’ effect downtown that will attract visitors from Thanksgiving through the first week of January,” Schutte said. “We are hopeful that this strategy will provide a needed lift for our local restaurants and merchants.”

Beth Goodrich is serving as the fundraiser director for Holiday in the City Committee. Those interested in donating to efforts to create the light display in downtown Springfield should contact Goodrich at bgoodrich@woh.rr.com.

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