Minneapolis' Aquatennial celebration in limbo as coronavirus threat looms

Officials are considering canceling or postponing the 2020 Minneapolis Aquatennial over the coronavirus threat.

Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, said the four days of celebration scheduled for July 22-25 might not come off as planned and could be delayed until later in the summer.

"We don't know yet," Cramer said. "It's scheduled for the later part of July. That's on the cusp."

Earlier Sunday, the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization announced it was calling off related events surrounding the festivities due to the deadly virus. That includes a community event scheduled for May 31.

Last week, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth and Rock the Garden music festival in Minneapolis announced they were canceling their events.

Minneapolis' annual summer party began in 1940 and offers many free events that draw thousands of people downtown. They include the Torchlight Parade, a 5K run and fireworks.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported a final decision had been made on the fate of this year's event.