RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) You can run through the long list with Jen Martin. First Night Raleigh, Artsplosure, St. Patrick s, The Pride Festival, Bluegrass, she ticked off. All of them canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19. It s not only frustrating for event organizers; the general public loves these events and this city is a big city that does events, said Martin, executive director of Shop Local Raleigh (SLR), the non-profit booster behind Raleigh s Christmas Parade and Brewgaloo, the city s annual celebration of North Carolina beer brewers.
But this week, Raleigh City Council began laying the groundwork for a comeback for the city s events scene. Starting April 1, the city will allow special events on a case-by-case basis. The move comes after Governor Roy Cooper eased COVID safety restrictions in his latest executive order. But, the measure still caps outside gatherings at 50 people.