No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus -- at least this year. Organizers announced Thursday that the annual Santa Claus Parade through downtown Sacramento had been cancelled.
The 26th annual parade was scheduled for Nov. 29. It is the first time in the event's history that the parade has been called off, said parade organizer Laurie Hensley.
The decision to cancel the privately organized event came because organizers were $15,000 short for items such as stages, sound equipment and cash prizes for parade participants, Hensley said.
Because of the economic downtown, there weren't enough private businesses that signed up as sponsors and advertisers, she said.
"We're a trickle-down casualty of the financial mess," Hensley said. She said she is contacting the 60 groups scheduled to participate in the parade, including school bands, youth groups and equestrian organization, with the news.
The parade was always held during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and drew crowds of up to 25,000. It helped draw people to downtown Sacramento since people could eat and shop afterwards, Hensley said.
Hensley said the cancellation is intended as a one-year break. Planning for the 2009 parade has already started. There has been a lot of outpouring of interest after people learned about this year's cancellation, she said.
Anyone interested in helping with the 2009 Santa Parade can call (916) 451-6200.
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