Novato Fourth Of July Parade Canceled For 2020: Coronavirus

NOVATO, CA — The 2020 Novato Fourth of July Parade has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to cancel this year's Independence Day celebration on Grant Avenue was made following a unanimous vote by the all-volunteer Novato 4th of July Parade Inc. Board of Directors.

"It's the right thing to do considering the public health consequences of bringing a crowd together," Board President Mike Read said.

"We've been monitoring the information coming from Marin County's Public Health Division and the Governor's Office as well as the fate of other major events such as the Marin County Fair. Seeing other large public events get canceled because of social distancing guidelines made us realize that we can no longer plan on the parade taking place this July."

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Novato had Independence Day parades well before the city was founded in 1960 but went without one until the modern-day parade organization was established in 1993. The parade has been held every year since then and is the largest single-day holiday celebration of its kind in the North Bay, according to organizers, attracting an estimated 10,000 people over a parade route of seven-tenths of a mile.

The parade's theme for 2020 was "The Power of Her Vote," marking the centennial of the women's suffrage movement.

"We hope that Novato finds other ways to have a spectacular 4th of July and celebrates the founding of our country," Read said. "We will see everybody in 2021."

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