A virtual variety Christmas show is being planned in Chilliwack to replace the annual Rotary Christmas Parade to keep everyone safe this year.
The Christmas Parade Committee, with help from Chilliwack Fraser and Chilliwack Rotary Clubs, secured $12,000 funding from City of Chilliwack to host a one-hour Rotary Christmas Celebration for children, with music, entertainment and skits to be broadcast live online.
The televised performances will be online instead of holding the annual Rotary Christmas Parade in the streets of downtown Chilliwack.
In February 2019 city officials entered into a new agreement with the Chilliwack Fraser and Chilliwack Rotary Clubs to have them coordinate and implement the annual Rotary Christmas Parade for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“Due to COVID-19 related restrictions on mass gatherings, The Christmas Parade committee felt it would be inappropriate to host a parade that would see thousands of residents gather in the downtown core,” according to the staff report from the Oct. 22 council meeting.
The Christmas celebration will on December 5 starting at 5:30 p.m. to foster a little continuity between the celebration and the parade, according to parade organizers. After the initial broadcast any person can post the livestream links of the event throughout December.
The Christmas Parade Committee was allocated $12,000 from the City of Chilliwack, compared to the previous amount of $18,000 which was provided in past years to coordinate the parade.
READ MORE: Rotary clubs join force to host parade
READ MORE: Check out this video of the parade
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