Grayson has canceled its 41st Annual Grayson Day parade on Saturday, April 24, the city announced in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon. The festival portion of the Gwinnett city’s largest annual event will continue as planned, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Grayson Park.
The last-minute cancelation came after the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office informed the city Friday that it could only provide four officers to close the roads for the parade, said Heather Brookshire, assistant city administrator. The sheriff’s office usually provides at least 11 officers to staff the event each year, she said.
“To be better safe than sorry, we canceled it,” said Brookshire, who manages the event. “We tried to ask other surrounding cities for help, but they’re all outnumbered.”
The festival portion of Grayson Day is a rain-or-shine event, offering food vendors, music and booths with handmade crafts and items for sales. As of Friday afternoon, there are no plans to cancel the event due to weather, Brookshire said.
The city organizes the event each year to entertain children and bring together the Grayson community, Brookshire said. The event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests are encouraged to wear masks and social distance at the festival.
