Thanks to the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases in the area, the West Side Nut Club, who had already cancelled a number of their regular events this year due to the pandemic, most notably the annual Fall Festival, has made yet another tough decision by announcing the cancellation of their 2020 Santa Land event.

The normally two weekend event has taken place annual over the past several years in Acorn Plaza, a.k.a. the parking lot on the corner of 10th and Franklin Streets next to Smitty's Italian Steakhouse, and featured live Christmas music from local musicians and choirs, free hot chocolate and cookies for attendees, plus an opportunity for you and your family to meet with Santa himself to get a photo, and have your kids tell him what they were hoping he'd bring them for Christmas.

Pulling off the weekend would have been a difficult challenge even if they tried. Not only because it would run the risk of spreading the virus even more than it already is, regardless of what type of safeguards they attempted to put in place, but trying to do so would have required a detailed plan of those safeguards laid out by the Club and presented to the Vanderburgh County Health Department for approval per Governor Eric Holcomb's current plan limiting counties to the number of people allowed at a social gathering based on the county's current ranking on the state's color-coded coronavirus map.

As of this writing, Vanderburgh County, like a majority of the state, is orange on the state map meaning social gatherings are limited to 50 people or less unless that counties Health Department approves a group's plan to allow more.

The Nut Club is hoping Santa Land can return in 2021.

[Source: West Side Nut Club Press Release]

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