Roselle cancels Rose Parade and Rose Festival

Roselle's Rose Parade and Rose Festival have been canceled for the second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Village officials on Thursday announced the cancellation of all large-scale special events and festivals through the end of June, including the Rose Parade and Rose Festival. Typically, both events are held in the first week of June.

"The health and safety of village of Roselle residents, employees, and visitors continues to be a top priority for village officials and special event organizers in the community," Mayor Andy Maglio said in a statement posted on the village's website.

Previously, it was expected the state would need to reach Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan before festivals and other large special events could return. But last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a "bridge" phase between Phase 4 and Phase 5.

Under the bridge phase, festivals and "general admission outdoor spectator events" would be able to have 30 people per 1,000 square feet.

Still, Roselle officials said Illinois remains under Phase 4 guidelines "with no immediate plans for the state's health regions to move collectively into the bridge phase."

Maglio said canceling June events is not what Roselle officials wanted to happen.

"But for the safety and well-being of our residents, our visitors and our village employees, it is the right decision," Maglio said in a statement to the Daily Herald. "It saddened me deeply to have to make the cancellation announcement."

In the meantime, Maglio said he is "hopeful" that other special events in the community, including the July 3 fireworks display and the Taste of Roselle, "can return in some way this year."

Village officials are expected to decide about those events next month.