The 70th Annual Barnstable Thanksgiving Parade has been cancelled.
While the Quarterback Club had worked on parade plans and logistics for the better part of a year, the club made the announcement this morning after consulting with Barnstable High School administrators. Fortunately, not all is lost.
The Barnstable-Falmouth football pep rally, which each year follows the parade on the Hyannis Village Green, will be moved indoors and held in the Barnstable High School gymnasium. The pep rally will still begin at 1:00 pm, as previously planned. The gymnasium doors will open at 12:30 pm for fans and students and parents. There is no cost to attend the pep rally.
“With the kids and players and coaches involved, there is a gray area of responsibility,” said longtime Quarterback Club president John Hardy.
There are no plans to move or postpone the Thanksgiving Day game in the event of inclement weather. Barnstable’s artificial field turf is designed to hold up in every possible type of weather. The Thanksgiving Day game was postponed in 2005 to the ensuing Saturday afternoon due to a prediction of rain that never occurred. The game was sparsely attended.
The National Weather Service is predicting a 100 percent chance of rain tomorrow in Hyannis.
Last year’s parade was also cancelled due to the prediction of inclement weather. All local fire departments – most of whom had committed fire apparatus for the parade – were notified about the cancellation.
Sean Walsh is the sports editor for Cape Cod Broadcasting Media.
He may be reached via email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm