YARMOUTH, Maine (AP) The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of Maine’s annual celebration of clams for the second straight year.

The Yarmouth Clam Festival dates to the 1960s and is a beloved tradition in the southern Maine town. It’s a celebration of seafood and summer that typically includes races, rides, music, a shucking contest and all things bivalve.

Organizers of the festival said Tuesday they met with town officials and others and decided the safe approach was to cancel the event. The pandemic also scuttled last year’s clam festival.

The organizers of the event said in a Facebook post that they were concerned about the “ability to facilitate an event within unknown state regulations.” They also said “that with the love and support of our many fans we will return bigger and better when the time is right.”

The most recent Yarmouth Clam Festival took place in July 2019.