ENCINITAS, Calif. – After pushback from residents, the Encinitas City Council voted Wednesday 4-1 to reverse the cancellation of this year’s annual holiday parade.
“It gives us something to believe in,” said Jeanette Cohen with the Encinitas Sasquatch Association, a group that typically participates in the parade.
The City of Encinitas decided last week to cancel the parade because of concerns about complying with state COVID-19 guidelines for mega events. Staff said there is no grand entrance to the event where they can check people’s vaccination status or recent COVID-19 test, which is recommended by the state health department for outdoor events larger than 10,000 people.
Council members said people going to the parade on Dec. 4 will be asked to mask up.
While float entries are down by around 50% according to the city parks director, many people said they’re just thrilled to have the holiday staple back for kids and families.