The 26th annual Portsmouth Halloween Parade, which draws as many as 25,000 spectators, has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers say.
"We have exhausted every possible option, including a reverse parade, alternate locations, a rolling parade, and route changes, and we determined there is simply no way to keep the spirit of the parade and keep the spectators and participants safe during the pandemic," parade Marshal Monte Bohanan told Seacoastonline.com.
Organizers were hoping for a large crowd this year because Halloween falls on a Saturday.
On Sunday, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced 44 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death. There have now been 7,696 cases of the virus diagnosed in New Hampshire, and 436 deaths.
