The Hummers Parade is the latest COVID-related cancellation in Delaware.
The loosely-organized annual New Year’s Day event in Middletown playing on Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade and known for political satire will not happen in 2021.
It would’ve been the 50th iteration of the Hummers Parade, but the parade’s self-proclaimed “grand marshal for life” Jack Schreppler decided not to apply for the necessary permits.
“I don’t know whether I could’ve gotten permits,” said Schreppler. “I’m guessing probably not, but I have friends in town government and I have friends in state government. I didn’t want to put the burden on anybody but myself.”
Schreppler notes he held out until December to make the call, and says with Delaware’s COVID-19 numbers going in the wrong direction it’s not a good time to have a parade.
“I also didn’t want to put pressure on friends and family to feel like they needed to come out and support the parade even if it they thought that it might expose them to a risk,” he added.
Schreppler says he looks forward to the return of the Hummers parade in 2022.
“I wish everybody a Happy New Year. I’m sorry we can’t do the parade this year. There’s no one to blame other than me. I made the decision,” he said.
Immigration-themed floats in the 2019 Hummers Parade were called out as racist, but the 2020 parade was held without any incidents under new guidelines that held Schreppler responsible for all aspects of the parade, including following the rules and procedures in the guidelines.
