2020 Downtown Fort Wayne Night of Lights event canceled amid coronavirus concerns

The coronavirus pandemic has caused another annual tradition in Fort Wayne to shift the way it will proceed this year.

Hunter petroviak.

Thanks for joining us.

A fort wayne tradition during the holiday season won't have a public celebration thanks to covid-19.

Fox 55's caleb saylor has more on the cancelling of the lighting of santa claus celebration.

"it's hugely disappointing."

One of the oldest traditions in fort wayne, dating back to before world war 2 will have no celebrationthis yearnats of countdownout of concern of covid-19 spread, the downtown improvement district has decided to cancel theformal celebration for the lighting of santa claus in downtown fort wayne rick zolman with the d.i.d.

Explains "typically we havetwenty to twenty five thousand people for this event and with the restrictions as far as social distancing, there was no safe way to do this event live."now families who have spent generations on main street on the wednesday before thanksgiving willhave to spend it some other way.

Business downtown will also be impacted.for coney island just down the block, it's their busiest day of the year and office manager aaronbentley says it'll be a hit "as far as the wednesday before thanksgiving,we can do upwards of five thousand dogs that day, so we may not reach that."

This year instead, there will be a pre recorded television special about the history of the displayand the behind the scenes of the set up on november 25th "it's a nice opportunityfor a family to start a new tradition for twenty twenty."but you don't have to worry, santa and his reindeer will still make their appearance on the sideof the pnc building during the 2020 holiday season.in fort wayne, caleb saylor fox 55 news.

Zolman says they do not plan to announce when they will light up the santa claus display..but it will be sometime before november 25th and