MARSHALL — The downtown’s celebration of Crazy Days Thursday will be looking a little different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be no kiddie parade and a lot more social distancing.

“We are not allowing outside vendors to allow our businesses downtown to have a little more space to spread out to promote their businesses,” Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Erin Raveling said. “We want them to have the chance to spread out on the street a little bit more, get some customers and maintain some social distancing.”

Raveling said the Marshall Downtown Association is encouraging downtown businesses to have some kind of outside presence, whether that means just a sign or go out and spread further into the street.

“Get all your sale racks outside, push your product for Crazy Days and sell as much as you can,” she said.

The sales racks outside will have to be the driving force in drawing shoppers to downtown because other related events that were part of past Crazy Days will be missing this year. In the past there have been bounce houses and petting zoos. And the kiddie parade has been a Crazy Days tradition.

“Those things are not happening this year,” Raveling said. “The day cares alone, they have their own rules and restrictions. So unfortunately, we don’t have those extra kids’ events this year. So that draw will be a little bit less. The adult side will still be coming to shop at some point during the day. They have a 12-hour time span to be able to come check out the stores.”

Downtown streets will be closed 6 a.m-7 p.m. Thursday.

Raveling also said the Chamber of Commerce wants to promote all businesses in Marshall holding Crazy Days specials. She said Borch’s typically has “really big” Crazy Days sales.

“But there are a handful of other stores that participate,” Raveling said.