Journal file photo Hermann Monument and the adjacent Hermann Heights and Harman Parks, sites of HermannFest, will not see visitors this year as part of the annual celebration.

NEW ULM — The HermannFest 2020 celebration has been officially canceled. The Hermann Monument Society made the official decision to cancel the annual celebration Thursday.

In a statement, the Hermann Monument Society said the decision was based on an inability to control crowds. Since the celebration takes place in city parks, the crowd cannot be limited to 250 people as COVID guidelines require. The 250 limits would also be too low of attendance for the festival to be financially feasible.

“In addition to all the measures that would need to be taken to comply with COVID preparedness, many of our loyal volunteers have expressed great reservations about helping this year,” the press release said. “The Hermann Monument Society did not take this decision lightly. We are a board made up of passionate individuals who look forward to producing this annual community event.”

The Hermann Monument Society gave a special thanks to the volunteers and the community for the ongoing support of HermannFest.