From cocktails to cow sales, good pandemic news means a return of entertainment

North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler said the State Fair will go on in 2021.

Posted 6:06 p.m. Feb 24, 2021 — Updated 11:16 p.m. Feb 24, 2021

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler said the State Fair will go on in 2021.

"We are going to have a State Fair," Troxler said while delivering the State of Agriculture address on Wednesday. "Everybody take the vaccine when it’s available to you and let’s have the biggest State Fair ever.”

The North Carolina State Fair was canceled last year due to coronavirus concerns. The cancelation was the first since World War II.

The 2021 N.C. State Fair is scheduled Oct. 14-24 at the fairgrounds.

Troxler's remarks came hours before Gov. Roy Cooper announced the easing of some pandemic-related restrictions, including allowing bars to begin seating people indoors and more fans to attend sporting events.

"From here, we just kind of go up," said Gaurav Patel, owner of Killjoy and Haymaker in downtown Raleigh.

Patel is optimistic because the governor allowed for indoor seating in bars and a later deadline for on-site consumption – 11 p.m. starting Friday.

Killjoy serves food, which means it and other restaurants will continue to operate at 50 percent capacity. But at Haymaker and other bars, indoor service will be allowed for the first time in nearly a year.

While Haymaker temporarily shut down months ago during the pandemic, Patel said the new rules have him eyeing a potential reopening next month.

“Hopefully we can come back stronger and better," Patel said.

Zack Medford, president of the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association, called Cooper's announcement a "huge, hard-fought win" for bars in the state. Medford owns Isaac Hunter's Tavern and bottle shop Paddy O'Beers in downtown Raleigh. Coglin's, which he also co-owned, closed on Fayetteville Street at the end of last year.

NC curfew ending; restrictions loosened to allow more people at bars, gyms, sporting events

On Wednesday, another 109 coronavirus-related deaths were reported, pushing North Carolina's death toll during the pandemic to 11,074. The state also reported another 3,346 infections and 1,530 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

In preparation for the return of live concerts, comedy and other events, top performing arts venues in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte have joined forces.

The “NC Live” coalition, a group of leaders from 18 venues, will provide a list of best practices to Cooper to help plan for the safe return of live entertainment in Phase 3, which could happen as soon as June 19.

On Tuesday Durham Performing Arts Center, which is part of the coalition, announced its rescheduled dates for last season's Broadway shows and its upcoming 2021-2022 season. The first show back will be The Band's Visit running Oct. 5-10.