VANCOUVER -- The COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled yet another popular festival in Metro Vancouver.
On Friday, the organizers of the Vancouver Christmas Market posted a letter to supporters on their website, saying that the market would be "postponed until 2021."
"Our team has spent every moment possible looking for ways we can safely execute the Vancouver Christmas Market event," the letter reads. "Unfortunately, with the current safety guidelines and ever-changing directives for activations like ours, we could not get approval for the 2020 Vancouver Christmas Market."
Based on the open-air Christmas markets found in Germany and around Europe, the Vancouver Christmas Market celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, setting up 80 food and merchandise stalls around Jack Poole Plaza between Nov. 20 and Christmas Eve.
Organizers said they "exhausted all potential avenues" in hopes of holding the festival in 2020, but ultimately had to prioritize the safety of staff, vendors and guests.
"Our team is currently working on a way for you to enjoy the essence of the Vancouver Christmas Market from the comfort of your own home," the letter reads, encouraging fans of the market to sign up for its newsletter and follow it on social media for updates on what that might look like.
