by Steven Felschundneff | steven@claremont-courier.com

The city of Claremont announced today that it has to cancel the Candy Cane Lane event scheduled for December 12 at the Hughes Center.

The event was to be a winter holiday themed car parade and a chance for children to see Santa and drop off letters to St. Nick. There was also going to be a food drive for Inland Valley Hope Partners.

Public Information Officer Bevin Handel said in a news release that even though Candy Cane Lane would be a drive-through event it “would have involved staff interaction with participants and countered the order’s intent to stay at home unless engaging in essential activities.”

The decision was made to comply with the stay-at home order issued by the state effective December 4. Additionally, Los Angeles County public health officials have recommended cancelling car parades and prohibits all gatherings with people outside of one’s immediate household.

“The City does not take this decision lightly, but we must consider the safety of the participants and staff. The city would like to thank The Claremont Colleges for their support of this event,” Ms. Handel said.