Yardley Canal-O-Ween 2020 Canceled

YARDLEY, PA — Scratch another Yardley holiday tradition for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Canal-O-Ween, the borough's annual Halloween jack-o-lantern stroll along the Delaware Canal, has been canceled due to the virus, organizers announced Saturday.

"After much thoughtful analysis, hard decision-making, and sad emotions, Experience Yardley has decided that this year there can be no Carve-O-Thon or Jack-O-Lantern Stroll for Canal-O-Ween week in Yardley," the group wrote in a social media post. "We know that this will be disappointing for many. The need to protect public safety and health in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic far outweighs having a 12th year in a row of the event."

The Halloween tradition draws thousands of people over seven days into a relatively small space, organizers noted. While that's good for a community during normal times, "2020 is the furthest thing from normal, and science and facts tell us that this wonderful event simply can't happen as a result," organizers said.

They said when Halloween time rolls around, they'll be asking locals to post photos and videos of themselves carving pumpkins at home.

The cancellation came just days after organizers announced the 2020 Yardley Christmas Parade has been canceled due to the virus.