Without question, 2020 will go down in infamy as the year stuff didn’t happen.

Nearly two-thirds of the way through the year, we are all painstakingly reminded that the coronavirus pandemic is still with us.

Naive as I was, there were times when the pandemic first broke that I held out hope things would return to normal sooner rather than later.

Turns out that was only a pipe dream, and now we’re left to wonder when exactly things will go back to the way they were sans COVID-19.

In one form or another, businesses, educational institutions and sports have all been forced to alter the means by which they set up shop.

Locally, fairs, festivals and Halloween parades are the latest casualties to feel the strain, with many either being postponed or outright canceled.

Typically this month fairgoers would have flocked to the fairgrounds in Palmerton and Gilbert for the respective Carbon County and West End fairs.

Due to the virus, gone are the agricultural displays, great food, arena events, musical entertainment and rides that so many clamor for.

September will also mark the absence of a trio of crowd-pleasers in the Palmerton Community Festival, Bloomsburg Fair and Great Allentown Fair.

So much for the strawberry shortcake, baked potatoes with toppings, and Smitty’s French Fries.

October will see the absence of the Walnutport Canal Festival.

That means no lock house tours, canoe rides and historical displays.

Of course, what would October be without all of the awesome Halloween parades?

Unfortunately, we will find out soon enough, as Jim Thorpe and Palmerton have opted to cancel this year’s renditions.

Meanwhile, Lehighton has postponed its heavily anticipated 50th annual event until 2021.

At least for this year, we must bid our adieus to the ghoulish masks and highly innovative floats that make the parades what they are.

Though still several months in the offing, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays certainly wouldn’t appear to be immune from the virus.

Shoppers who look to bag those ever-so important Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals may have to approach things differently than in years past.

Families who typically travel from state to state to spend time with their families over Thanksgiving dinner will assuredly have a dent put into those plans.

Aside from the neatly decorated Christmas trees and outdoor decorations, what exactly Christmas will resemble is anyone’s guess.

The year 2020 was supposed to usher in a new decade full of possibilities, as it represented a fresh start and the dawning of a new era.

Unfortunately, those bright prospects morphed into fear, unrest and uncertainty that exist several months after the virus reared its ugly head.

If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s to expect the unexpected, and to have a greater appreciation for the good things in life we should never take for granted.