A Schuylkill County parade steeped in tradition has opted to forgo this year’s edition on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 70th annual Andreas Halloween Parade has been canceled, according to Rebecca Neumoyer, parade coordinator.

“Certainly we’re concerned for the safety of the children and the people; everybody involved with the parade,” Neumoyer said. “There would be no way to do any kind of social distancing or anything like that along the parade route.”

Neumoyer said the parade is sponsored by the West Penn Lions/Lioness Club, Andreas Sporting Club and Andreas VFW Post 5069.

“Our community is our main focus, to involve the children, just the whole community coming together for a fun night of ghosts and goblins,” she said. “Everybody just enjoys the parade.”

While the parade itself won’t take place, Neumoyer said the group hasn’t entirely ruled out some other kind of event.

“It needs to be discussed through our Lions Club to take its place, something with a little more social distancing,” she said. “Seventy years is a long, long time to have a tradition; nowadays traditions are falling by the wayside.”

Nonetheless, Neumoyer said canceling this year’s parade which would have been held was the right call.

“With all these things in mind, we decided it would be better to cancel this year and look forward to 2021,” she said. “Next year we can have a bigger and better parade.”