Charleston’s customary holiday parade, and the annual boat parade have been canceled this year due to coronavirus concerns. The parades typically draw crowds along downtown streets, and to the harbor’s edge to watch festively decorated vessels pass by.
According to The City of Charleston, the number of spectators drawn to watch the spectacles, and the limited amount of space, raised concerns of potential spread of the coronavirus, especially due to the rising numbers as the city enters the holiday season.
This year’s would have been the 39th annual Holiday Parade of Boats, according to the event’s webpage. So, while this year’s show may be unable to go on, there is plenty of past content that those who feel they are missing out on the experience can find.
Photos from the 2019 event are available at the America’s Boating Club Charleston Facebook page, and a few videos from past parades can be found on the event’s webpage.
Not only that, but there are still a few holiday-themed events that are still going on throughout the season and city.
The Charleston Holiday Market in Marion Square will be held at 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Dec.5-Dec. 20., featuring 36 different vendors on Saturdays and 24 on Sundays.
Folks can tune into a virtual tree-lighting ceremony Dec. 6 through the City pf Charleston’s Facebook page.
Chanukah, penned for Dec. 13 and normally held in Marion Square, has been relocated to The Bend in North Charleston for a more socially-distanced event with all the same Jewish holiday traditions.
A virtual holiday greeting from the City and Mayor John Tecklenburg can be viewed at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 on the City’s Facebook Page.
To help everyone get around downtown this holiday season, the city is providing two hours of free parking downtown with this year’s Holiday Magic in Historic Charleston parking voucher, which can be downloaded online.
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