EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — While many events were forced to cancel during the pandemic, questions are being raised about why El Cajon's Mother Goose Parade has yet to return, despite promising to do so two years in a row.
“It’s something belongs to us. It’s something that’s ours. It’s something that we’re prideful about, so it’s kind of a bummer that we’re not having it again this year," said El Cajon resident Andy Murad after hearing of the cancellation.
The parade, run by the non-profit Mother Goose Parade Association, started in 1947. The event went virtual in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the parade was canceled, citing supply chain and staffing issues, with organizers promising the event would be "bigger and better than ever" in 2023. However, the group put out a statement in July canceling again, this time saying the event would be "reimagined as a new classic in 2024".
Many people in the community are raising concerns at the cancellation. “People are disappointed. People have been telling me they’ve been going since they were a young kid and why is this happening?" El Cajon City Councilmember Phil Ortiz said in an interview with ABC 10News.
Ortiz says neither he nor his fellow councilmembers have had any communication from the Association about issues that would prevent the parade's return. He also says he has not heard of any effort to fundraise or seek out new volunteers if there are financial concerns.
“If you need help, come ask. We don’t know what’s going on. There’s been such an outcry from the public to have the parade, it would be a no-brainer that people are going to be willing to put their time, talent and treasure into the parade to make it happen again.”
ABC 10News reached out by phone and email to the Mother Goose Parade Association's posted contacts. Someone identifying themselves as a "Friends of Mother Goose volunteer" texted the same statement released in July and said ABC 10News would be informed of any updates. However, when ABC 10News reiterated the request for an interview to ask follow-up questions, the volunteer did not reply.
Multiple residents expressed a feeling that parade organizers are stringing the community along by promising then canceling the event two years in a row. “Just be honest. If you can’t do it, let’s figure out what you need in order for it to happen," Ortiz said.
One former parade board member told ABC 10News he is trying to organize a new group to take over the event in 2024.
