The Fremont Arts Council has announced they’ve cancelled the Fremont Solstice Parade for this year, postponing the festivities until the 2021 summer solstice.

“After assessing the current and projected data related to COVID-19 and hearing from King County Public Health and the Seattle Office of Special Events, the Board of Directors felt the wisest and safest choice for the FAC and the community would be postponement to next year,” the Fremont Arts Council Board of Directors wrote in their announcement.

The council plans on running a virtual parade this solstice, which they say needs some assistance: “We will be looking for artists, members, sponsors, and volunteers as well as media content and video editors. If you want to help organize, create and be a part of this, check out our website for more info,” they write.

With the parade and Gas Works Celebration cancelled for the year, the Fremont Arts Council is losing a large portion of their annual funding. The Green Hat money collection during the parade and the Beer Garden they set up at Gas Works are the main sources of their funding each year, which means they’re seeking help from the community in various ways, including recruiting new members to the Fremont Arts Council.

“We don’t want June 20th to pass us by wishing for what we can’t have. We may not be able to gather en masse but we CAN still celebrate the Solstice. We want to safely share Fremont Solstice with our families, our friends, our community and the world,” the council writes. “We want to see your celebrations, your joy, your rituals, your art! We want to hear your stories! We may not be able to fill the streets but we can still share with each other our celebration at the return of the Sun!”

The council says that if you’ve purchased VIP seats or reserved vendor space, they will be in touch regarding refunds.

The next big event for the Fremont Arts Council is Luminata on Sept. 19.

Photo: File photo of a previous year’s Fremont Solstice Parade