The Coney Island Mermaid Parade won't take place this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The annual event, which typically draws huge crowds, was set to take place in person in September. But organizers announced Wednesday that the parade would not go on because of rising cases in the city fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

“When we set the September date, we hoped that the Parade, the largest art parade in the nation and a point of civic pride for Coney Island, would represent a return to normalcy. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not finished with us quite yet,” parade organizers said in a statement. 

The parade has been held every year since 1983, but went virtual last year because of the pandemic. Parade organizers did not mention if a virtual event would take place this year.

Organizers said they’re planning for the parade to return in 2022, and asked residents to help support Coney Island USA by attending their ticketed events, becoming a member, and getting vaccinated.