KINGSTON -- Santa will not be visiting Kingston for the annual Santa Claus Parade.

The City of Kingston has announced that this year's Nighttime Santa Claus Parade is cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the City of Kingston, Downtown Kingston and the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health unit said there are concerns that this event will attract too large a crowd to safely allow individuals to physically distance from each other and follow public health guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.

While the Santa Claus Parade is cancelled, the city says the holiday spirit will be present downtown.

Other seasonal events will be announced later this fall.