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The Winchester Labor Day Parade and celebration, originally scheduled for Sept. 3-6, has been canceled due to the rise in local COVID-19 cases.

The Daniel Boone Pioneer Festival has not been canceled.

The Labor Day Committee president, Ann Carter, said that even though some of the events were to be held outdoors, the committee members decided on Tuesday that they felt it was best to cancel for the safety of the community.

“Even if you are indoors or outdoors, you could still come in contact with COVID,” Carter said about the committee’s rationale. “We also could not keep everyone socially distanced when you are talking about an event that goes from Friday to Monday.”

Shelby said that there was no pressure to call off the event.

“No one forced us to do this,” she said. “This was a decision made strictly by the Winchester Labor Day Committee. We were all on the same accord.”

The event was estimated to draw between 500 and 1,000 attendees to the area, and would have hosted four bands and 13 vendors. 

The cancellation marks the second consecutive year that the parade has been canceled due to the pandemic. There are no plans to reschedule the festivities, but one tradition will still take place.

“We still plan to crown our queen and give recognition to our junior king and queen,” Carter said.

The Labor Day Parade is one of Winchester’s oldest celebrations. It was originally held in 1904 as a celebration for the local Black community and evolved into a community event over time.