COVID-19 is causing more long standing events and traditions to be cancelled in East Texas.

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Since 1935, Gilmer has hosted the annual East Texas Yamboree festival celebrating and honoring the yam, also known as the sweet potato, with a celebration in downtown Gilmer. East Texans look forward to the annual event that includes the Queen's Coronation and Pageant, carnival, that features rides and games, two parades, yam decorating contest, sweet potato pie contest, livestock show, barn dance and much more, but all that will not be happening this year thanks to concerns over the coronavirus.

The City Of Gilmer along with the Upshur County COVID-19 Committee made the announcement that this years' event, which was to be held on the third weekend in October, has been cancelled. This would have been the 83rd annual celebration. The following statement was issued on the organizations official Facebook page.

As you can imagine the cancellation has comes with mixed comments.

In the same post, it is also announced that the annual Yamboree Firework Show has been cancelled as well.

In other festival news, for the first time since WWII, the annual Texas Rose Festival has been postponed. The news comes from Visit Tyler who says although the festivities have been cancelled, October is still peak rose season in East Texas and Tyler's Rose Garden will remain open for visitors to see all the beautiful blooms.

The festival is expected to return in 2021 for it's 88th year.

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