After a year of COVID-19, Raleigh makes a slow step toward normalcy

Festivals, parades and carousels are circling back to Raleigh.

The city will allow special events to resume on a case-by-case basis starting April 1 after nearly a year of cancellations and postponements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special events like races, festivals and parades will still have to follow the state’s restrictions on mass gatherings, said Derek Remer, the city’s emergency management director.

This is the start, and “we pray that we can continue opening up for businesses, as our hospitality industry has been devastated by COVID,” said Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

“With cases starting to decline, we’re optimistic that we can start allowing events that are permitted under the governor’s executive order,” she said. “The (Raleigh) Convention Center and Performing Arts Center staff will ensure that all rules are followed.”

The state’s new COVID-19 rules also allow attractions to reopen, including the indoor carousels at Chavis and Pullen parks. They will open at 30% capacity in late March, Remer said.

Gatherings inside are now capped at 25 people instead of 15, but face coverings and social distancing are still required. Most outside gatherings are still capped at 50 people.

The Raleigh Convention Center is now allowed 250 people in most spaces. Two volleyball tournaments were held there last weekend. They drew 2,300 athletes across 24 courts and brought in an estimated $2 million for the city, said Remer.

The Raleigh City Council will also hold its first in-person meeting since the pandemic began with an in-person retreat at the convention center March 12-13. The council will continue to meet virtually until March 31; no decision has been made about when to resume regular in-person meetings.