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BERRIEN SPRINGS — A beloved local tradition has been canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Blossomtime Festival’s 2021 Grand Floral Parade has been canceled. It had been scheduled to take place May 8. In a press release, Festival President Anna Abdelnour said the cancelation was due to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This was not an easy decision, as a board, that we took lightly and represents the festival’s commitment to the overall well-being of the community at this time,” she said. “After dealing with one of the hardest questions we have faced, the Blossomtime Festival decided to postpone community pageants until after Sept. 1, 2021. We look forward to beginning the 2022 season come fall and celebrating The Grand Floral Parade next year, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2022.”

The festival plans to continue in 2021 with some of its time-honored traditions such as Blessing of the Blossoms and the House of David Baseball Game, scheduled for May 16.

“We are hoping to have the Youth Parade, but we are still working on logistics,” Abdelnour said. “We also hope to have some other events over the summer that we feel could be possible within the guidelines set during this pandemic.”

Visit blossomtimeFestival.org or follow the festival’s social media for up-to-date information on upcoming events.