SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (KNEP) - Scottsbluff citizens have been kept on the edge of their seats this week as the Panhandle Public Health District and the Downtown Scottsbluff Association discussed the safety of holding the annual Scottsbluff Christmas Parade this weekend.

On Thursday, Kim Engel, the Director of the Panhandle Public Health District, sent out this email:

“I am receiving numerous concerned calls about the proposed Christmas parade. The Panhandle moved into the Red Zone or Severe Risk of COVID on November 9th. Unified Command is discouraging public gatherings. Any event that encourages people to gather puts the public at risk.

When 25% of the beds statewide are filled with COVID patients, the governor will put further restrictions in place. Here in the panhandle, over 49.7% of our hospital beds are occupied by a COVID patient. Area hospitals and emergency services are pleading with the public to take extra precautions. Help us keep kids in schools and businesses open by not encouraging people to gather.

We are urging you to take this seriously due to the public risk and our most vulnerable residents.”

Throughout the week and into today, the DSA and the PPHD have gone back and forth on whether or not it could be safe to hold the parade, whether or not the parade could be live-streamed rather than witnessed in person, and whether or not the preparation of the floats could be done safely. This long conversation ended on Monday when Event Planner Angela Scalan released this email this afternoon:

“Hello, Community!

This is Angela with the Downtown Scottsbluff Association. I’m sad to report that the Christmas Parade is canceled as of this morning, once I was able to hear from PPHD after the weekend. Some folks feel this was the 11th hour, and it was, as I wanted to take as much time as possible to fully explore all possible options to preserve some kind of Christmas celebration for the Downtown. As it is, PPHD is not comfortable with a Reverse Parade, for which I submitted an Event Plan, and we have enough folks ill or concerned in our community that our available number of floats has decreased significantly.

However, all is not lost:

The 18th Street Plaza Christmas Tree will be decorated this week and the Downtown Scottsbluff Christmas lights will come on for the season at 6 pm on Sunday, November 29th.

Please take a drive through our Downtown to see and appreciate the beautiful little community we inhabit.

GOOD NEWS! We will have a FACEBOOK LIVE of Santa and the Grinch, on the Downtown Scottsbluff Association (DSA) Facebook page! This fun little event will be broadcast to the DSA page from Cappuccino and Company at 6 pm on Sunday, November 29th! Santa has a message for kids of every age and the Grinch won’t miss a chance to cause trouble, so put on your Christmas jammies, grab a cocoa and join us for a little Christmas fun!

These are challenging times, friends. Remember that the spirit of Christmas lives within each of us and in the choices we make, such as gratitude and kindness. We are learning what we’re made of, and as a community, we are creative and strong!

Here’s to a beautiful, calm, and quiet holiday season and a fresh new year!”

The Panhandle Public Health District has not yet commented on the cancelation.