Fayetteville Dogwood Festival returns as a 'mini-fest' in 2021

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- After a year of being shut down, one of Fayetteville's largest events will return in April with several adjustments.

This year, to comply with Governor Cooper's Executive Order concerning mass gatherings, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival will be held as a 'mini-fest' on the fourth weekend of April, the 23rd through the 25th. The event will feature a mixture of both in-person and virtual activities.

In-person activities will include: food vendors, a car show, possibly a motorcycle show, children's entertainment and a poetry slam at a different location.

For virtual activities: craft vendors, some streaming musical entertainment and other related activities.

Dogwood Festival officials said, this year, the festival will likely be held at the Westwood Shopping Center -- the same location that the drive-thru food vendor fair was held last September.

Despite the announcement, the festival is still in its early stage of planning, so some events may be subject to change.

Last year, the traditional Dogwood Festival was forced to cancel during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, the event transitioned to a drive-thru event where patrons were able to eat their favorite fair treats from vendors. Due to the pandemic, officials believed the event lost between $60,000 to $80,000 dollars in 2020.