Cheshire Memorial Day Parade Cancelled Over Coronavirus Concerns

CHESHIRE, CT —The Town of Cheshire announced on Monday that it has cancelled its annual Memorial Day parade due to the uncertainty of allowing groups to gather in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The parade, which was scheduled for May 24, was to have commemorated the 75th anniversary of the ending of World War II and honor veteran and Cheshire resident Jim Hart.

The parade typically draws thousands of attendees, town officials said in a release on Monday, but due to the health crisis that the coronavirus is causing currently and the uncertainty of how long it will last, town officials, along with the Cheshire Veteran’s Council and Parade Committee, decided it had to take the greater public health into consideration in making its decision.

“We are saddened to have to make this decision, but the logistics involved in putting the Parade on for our community has reached a point where we had no other option,” the group said in the news release. “Regular parade participants have been holding off confirming their attendance and many have expressed the need to make a decision so they can see who they can get to march in bands and other organizations. Without being able to foresee what limitations may still be in place at that time, we unfortunately have to cancel.”

According to the release, other events like the wreath laying ceremony and Flags Across Cheshire, will only be held subject to federal and state guidelines for crowd gatherings.