GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro’s annual Pride Parade and Festival will not happen this year, joining many Pride events across the country canceled amid the pandemic.

Run by the nonprofit Alternative Resources of the Triad, the parade was initially scheduled for June 27 and the festival, for Oct. 11.

“This was a disappointing decision for the Greensboro Pride team,” said ART Co-Chair Paul Marshall. “We know the decision is in the best interest of the community and our organization, but we were looking forward to our first Greensboro Pride Parade and celebrating our 15th annual festival.”

The decision came Wednesday when the boards of ART and Greensboro Pride voted to cancel.

Organizers plan to reach out to registered businesses directly and give them the choice of a refund or secured spot at the 2021 parade and festival.

This doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any Greensboro Pride events in 2020.

Organizers say they hope to hold smaller events when the coronavirus threat decreases.

“We still want to celebrate Pride, we will just do it in a different way this year,” says ART Co-Chair Kayt Stewart.

In the meantime, ART will hold fundraises for the organizations working on the front lines, like the food bank at the Triad Health Project and the Interactive Resource Center

“This is the perfect opportunity for us to show support to our fellow nonprofit organizations and help make a difference in our community,” said Stewart. “Even though our namesake events are cancelled this year, we can still use our platform to benefit the Greensboro community.”

For more information about these events, visit the Greensboro Pride website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.