THE annual Two Wells Street Party and Christmas Parade has become the latest festive season event to fall victim to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Event organisers confirmed last week the parade would not go ahead this year due to the logistical pressures of running a coronavirus-safe event.

Ongoing roadworks on Old Port Wakefield Road due to the Two Wells Main Street Upgrade project also means many spaces in the area would be off-limits to attendees.

Event organising committee member Caroline Scutcheon said it was a tough choice to cancel the street party and parade, but ultimately the correct one.

“We’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the logistics to hold something like this was just a little bit out of our means,” she said.

“It’s sad and it makes you feel like you’ve let the team down. But at the same time, there are things that are out of our control that’s making us miss this event.

“Even when there was a forecast of rain we’ve had the street parade, but this is a completely different set of circumstances.”

To have run the event in-line with COVID-19 restrictions, organisers would have had to plan a closed event with temporary fencing restricting access for attendees.

A number of volunteer COVID marshals would also be needed to enforce social distancing measures and organisers would need to operate a contact tracing system.

These rules have seen a number of Christmas events cancelled this year, with community groups lacking the resources to meet State Government requirements.

Events which have been able to proceed despite the pandemic have been able to find alternate homes at closed-off venues, such as the Playford Christmas Pageant, which is being held at the Elizabeth Oval.

Mrs Scutcheon added event organisers did not want to be responsible for a localised outbreak of COVID-19 as a result of running an unsafe event.

“It took us a long time to make the decision because we still hoped we would be able to put on the event this year,” she said.

“We were getting to the pointy end of the deal where we needed to have a number of things in place already to ensure the street parade goes ahead.

“We have to consider not only our health, but the health of our community as well. We didn’t see the point in having something that went the way everything should go with the restrictions in place.”

Mrs Scutcheon said the organising committee was already planning for the street parade’s return in 2021.