The Santa Maria Parade of Lights will not be making its way down Broadway this holiday season, event organizers say.
The parade, which had been set to return this year after being canceled in 2020, will remain dark for another year.
In a message on their website, organizers say the cancellation is due to to a change in state COVID guidelines.
Operators of large events are required to check participants and spectators for proof of COVID vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, the message states, saying that this creates a logistical impossibility for the parade.
California's recent guidelines for "mega-gatherings," which include indoor events with 1,000 or more people and outdoor events with10,000 or more people, were updated Thursday, Oct. 28.
This year's event, previously slated for Dec. 5, 2012, would have been the 26th anniversary of the parade. It is hosted by the three Santa Maria Rotary Clubs and the Rotary Club of Nipomo.
Organizers say they hope to bring the Parade of Lights back on Dec. 3, 2022.
