The Main Street Bank Festival of Lights Parade that was scheduled for next week in downtown Wheeling would have had local and state restrictions in place pertaining to in-person attendance.
The fact that two local television stations, WTOV and WTRF, would have broadcast the parade once again this year was the event’s saving grace, according to Erikka Storch, president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, but the event was canceled after W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice implemented even more restrictions this morning.
“We really did want to help bring a little more normalcy to the world, plus we knew the kids in the parade were looking forward to it because everything else that was scheduled for them to perform has been canceled this year,” she said. “We wanted to support the folks who have supported us this year, and this is one of the ways that we could have done that while being as safe as possible.
“The fact that the parade would have been televised live was the biggest advantage we had when it came to having this event,” Storch explained. “I know we had made some changes, and we didn’t have as many entries this year, but we still felt this parade was very important to the people in the community.”
Each year, Main and Market streets are lined with thousands of bundled people and children for the parade, and vendors walk up and down to sell noisemakers, light sabers, and other novelties. This year, however, the pandemic has prevented that atmosphere.
“The state Department of Health and Human Resources had put out some guidance for events such as parades, and part of that was to discourage in-person spectators,” Storch said. “Prior to the release of that information from the state, Howard Gamble, administrator of the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, had put out Covid guidelines for safely having a parade.
“The people at the DHHR would have preferred if we had a non-traditional parade with people lining up and driving by,” she continued. “I don’t know how we could have accomplished that here in Wheeling. But the fact that the parade would have been broadcast on our local TV stations was a good thing because people still could have experienced the parade that way.”
Safety of Home
The projected forecast looked good for the evening hours in downtown Wheeling for Nov. 20, according to the National Weather Service, and the chamber president had hoped that prediction would have allowed most families to plan to view the parade on TV.
“We realized that parents would not have dropped off the children that were supposed to be in the parade and gone home to watch it on TV,” Storch said. “So, our hope was that they distanced, wore masks, and stayed safe while they were here in downtown Wheeling, and they could have accomplished that along Main and Market streets.
“There was a time when we didn’t know if we were going to be able to have the parade, and that is why we were happy to get the guidelines from Howard (Gamble),” she said. “And then, on October 23 when the DHHR sent us the restrictions, we were OK because we had already incorporated a lot of what the state suggested. It does take a lot of volunteers to make this parade the event that it is each year, and everyone was ready to do it again because I believe everyone wanted a little bit of normality again.”
But then the governor announced restrictions for schools, sports, bands, face coverings, and nursing homes.
“Our numbers in this area have really increased the past two weeks, so Gov. Justice’s announcements today were not really that surprising,” admitted Storch, who also serves as a state delegate for most residents in Ohio County. “To say we are disappointed would be an understatement, though. But safety comes first, and I hope his restrictions help slow the spread.”
The New Route
In past years, the Main Street Bank Fantasy of Lights Parade would travel north on Market Street, take a left on 10th Street to pass H&R Block and the Bridge Tavern, and then take another left down Main Street and finish near 16th Street.
That would not have been true this year. Not only were there about 30 fewer entries this year thanks to COVID-19, the course had been altered because of the ongoing construction on Interstate 70 and the detours that remain in place.
“The parade would have officially kicked off around 18th Street along Market Street, and then the entries would have traveled north on Market, and then the parade would have turned onto 12th Street instead of 10th Street,” Storch explained. “One of the reasons why we had to change the route is that 10th Street has to stay completely open because it’s how we are getting on Interstate 70 westbound in that area.
“There is so much traffic right now on 10th Street, and the Wheeling Police Department has to have several officers in the area of 10th Street, so to keep everyone in the parade safe, we changed the course to go down 12th Street,” she said. “Since Main Street Bank became our title sponsor of the parade last year, we added a few blocks on Main Street near their main location.”
There was always the chance, too, that the Main Street Bank Fantasy of Lights Parade would be canceled if Ohio County were designated as a “RED” county by the DHHR.
“I know there is concern because of COVID-19, and that is completely understandable because of what our numbers have been looking like the past few weeks, but I was hoping we would begin trending the other way,” Storch said. “No matter what, though, we were encouraging people to watch it on the two television stations instead of attending the parade in downtown Wheeling.
“But now it’s time to start planning next year’s parade, and hopefully we’ll be able to make it bigger and better than it’s ever been before,” the chamber president added. “I’m sure that will be our goal because of this cancelation because we’ll all be very determined to make up for this year.”
