Laidley Spring Festival Street Parade cancelled
Due to the challenges of the lingering global pandemic, Lockyer Valley Regional Council has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Street Parade component of the Laidley Spring Festival.
The latest Council response to COVID-19 is designed to minimise the impact to groups who would otherwise spend weeks preparing their floats.
Lockyer Valley Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan said while it was a tough decision to make, it was the right one.
“There is no doubt the current COVID-19 situation is volatile and constantly changing, and unfortunately that means there is no way we could proceed with any certainty for this year’s Street Parade.
“Each year, the Parade is one of the headline attractions of the Festival and the decision has been made now, out of respect for the hard work so many local schools and community groups invest in preparing floats.
“The floats always look spectacular and indicate the level of passion and pride our local schools and kindergartens, community groups, businesses and emergency services have in their community, however the overall safety of our community is paramount.
“Having witnessed so many events cancelled at the last minute by immediate COVID-19 lockdowns or restrictions, and the distress caused to organisers, we wanted to make a decision as early as possible.
“We simply do not know what State Government restrictions will be in place in the coming weeks and months, which makes planning and delivering the Parade extremely difficult.
“This has been a hard decision for our Council to make and we appreciate the understanding of all stakeholders involved.
“The Laidley Spring Festival has a long proud history in the region, and this is a great opportunity for the community to demonstrate their support by visiting the various venues of the three-day event and still ensuring this year’s Festival is a success,” Mayor Milligan said.
At this stage, most other features of Laidley Spring Festival are expected to proceed, with the final decision up to the individual organising groups.
Council will move the Saturday entertainment program from the Laidley Recreational Reserve to parks and public spaces within the CBD, with a ‘Spring Carnivale’ atmosphere including live music and a range of creative workshops to bolster local businesses.
The 2021 Laidley Spring Festival runs from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 September. For more information visit https://www.laidleyspringfestival.com/.
