GREENSBORO, N.C. — Some Triad events and celebrations are planning a comeback this year.
July's Fun Fourth in Downtown Greensboro and the Lexington Barbecue Festival in October were both canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020.
Organizers said Monday both will happen this year, but the events may look different than in years past.
It comes after the state loosened mask rules and capacity limits.
"We are actively planning what that looks like right now," Downtown Greensboro Incorporated President Zack Matheny said. 'It's going to be a scaled-down version from what we've done in the past."
Matheny said so far that means three stages for performances and no vendors at Fun Fourth. Fireworks are still a question mark. The Independence Day celebration will be held a day early on Saturday, July 3.
"It’s just hard to accommodate (vendors) with such a quick turnaround," Matheny said. "We are lucky, we’re fortunate that we are planning out. We’re going to do it from probably around 3 p.m. to around 8:30 p.m. We are also working with the city on possible alternatives for fireworks."
Lexington Barbecue Festival Executive Director Stephanie Saintsing Naset said they're playing catch up, too.
The festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 23, and she said they're usually halfway done with planning by now.
"We've been in a holding pattern. We haven't done a lot of planning," Saintsing Naset said. "Ordinarily, this time of year, we have already signed many contracts for entertainers. We secured all of our arts and crafts vendors. At this point, we’ve done none of that, so it’s time to get started, but we want to proceed carefully."
Both organizers said COVID-19 safety is their top priority.
Health experts agree outside events like Fun Fourth and the Barbecue Festival are generally safe for vaccinated people.
"We are a whole lot safer for this summer than we were that last summer," Dr. Bruce Swords, Cone Health's Chief Physician Executive, said.
"I think the large waves and the large community impact surges are probably behind us," Dr. Christopher Ohl, Wake Forest Baptist Health Infectious Disease expert, said.
However, they also said the risk is still high for unvaccinated people, particularly in crowds.
"(The virus is) sneaky. It'll take advantage of people who haven't gotten a shot and if you're together, it'll find you there," Dr. Ohl said.
Dr. Swords said without the vaccine, people will need to continue to practice the Three W's: wear a mask, wait six feet apart and wash your hands.
They said unvaccinated people who do not follow those rules can create spread risks for events.
"Those organizers have some tough decisions to make," Dr. Swords said.
Health experts recommend event organizers add extra safety precautions like requiring masks, limiting capacity, or social distancing crowds.
Matheny said he does not expect capacity to be limited at Fun Fourth.
"Some of this is going to be TBD [to be determined] right up until the event. I doubt we do any ticketing. I think we don’t know how many people come this year," Matheny said.
Saintsing Naset said it's too early to know exactly what steps will be taken at the Barbecue Festival. She said a fundraising concert for the festival is slated for June 12 and that event will be by ticket only.
Both are excited to be planning these annual events this year.
"It’s certainly challenging, but I feel much better right now than I did last year this time," Saintsing Naset said. "I just feel like we are moving forward in the right direction."
Health experts recommend vaccination to those who have not yet gotten the shot. They said it's the best step to ensure you stay safe from spreading the virus all summer.
RELATED: 2020 Fun Fourth Festival canceled
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