The annual Christmas in Kalona celebration has been cancelled for 2020 due to the recent surge in cases of coronavirus.  All festivities slated for December 5 have been shelved for this year according to an email from the Christmas in Kalona planning committee which notes, “It is disappointing because we worked really hard to try and rethink activities so they would be safe and allow social distancing. Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 cases are going in the wrong direction, ultimately causing us to cancel.”  Committee member Olivia Kahler says it was a tough decision, but one everyone agreed was necessary, “It was five committee members, five committee members were involved in making this decision, it was a unanimous cancellation for the safety and well-being of our community.” Despite the Christmas in Kalona cancellation for this year, Kahler says she encourages people to shop locally, “We love our small business support, Small Business Saturday is obviously coming up. We do want to increase local support in a safe manner.”  Kahler says the committee looks forward to planning this celebration for next year with the hope things will be back to normal. Small Business Saturday falls on November 28th.