The St. James Italian Festival has again been canceled due to COVID-19. “Unfortunately, this year we’re not going to be able to do it either,” said Deacon Mike Lennon of St. James Church. “This is the second year in a row, but hopefully we’ll be back on track next year.”

Time is a factor in putting together the annual July festival. It would be difficult to plan and coordinate a multi-day festival in the event that guidelines are handed down closer to the starting date, Lennon said. “The thing is, there’s a lot of preparation,” he said. “Even if they loosen things up by July 8 or 9, there’s just not enough time to get everything together.”