Chamber’s Parade of Frights cancelled

For the first time in the history of the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce, Halloween will have passed without Trick or Treaters roaming door-to-door in the Canyon Lake Town Center. The 2020 Parade of Frights has been cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions.

One of the first events held by the brand-new Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce in the early 1990s was The Parade of Frights. The annual Trick or Treating event in the Canyon Lake Town Center was held as both a safe alternative to collecting candy and as a way to “get Canyon Lake residents to cross the street” and shop locally.

Staff at Pepe’s prep for Trick or Treaters at last year’s Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce Parade of Frights in front of their restaurant. The event is not being held for the first time since the chamber’s inception. Friday Flyer File Photo by Alison Burrafato

The thinking was if Canyon Lake people were aware of what businesses offered right in Canyon Lake, they’d be slower to turn and go into Lake Elsinore or Temecula for their shopping. Parents accompanying children to each of the businesses in the Town Center immediately fulfilled the Chamber of Commerce goal. The inaugural event was an overwhelming hit and has grown into a staple of Halloween celebration in the city.

The Chamber of Commerce said in its announcement of the cancelation that it does not have the resources available to monitor the social distancing required to ensure the event remained in compliance with the State of California’s COVID-19 regulations.

The Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Halloween-themed contest for Canyon Lake businesses. It is asking participating businesses to dress up their front doors in Halloween decor and is awarding prizes to those with “the most ghoulish spirit.”