Animate! Raleigh kicked off Friday at the Raleigh Convention Center. It is one of the first major events held at the venue since a fire damaged the center's roof in December.
The fan convention was supposed to take place in early January, but organizers said they postponed because there was no guarantee the venue would be up and running in time to welcome thousands through the doors.
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Animate! Raleigh's management, which also handles the popular GalaxyCon event each year, worked with the convention center to reschedule to this weekend.
"Thankfully, he could pivot on our behalf to make it work," Kerry Painter, the executive director of the Raleigh Convention Center. "We are so excited and ready to see it happen."
Animate! is expected to bring in 10,000 visitors, with a projected $4 million in economic impact in Raleigh.
Will Saponara and Piper Brown are among the attendees of this weekend's event.
"Honestly, it gave me a lot of relief that they were able to have that grace and not just fully cancel it," Saponara said.
Brown echoed Saponara's sentiments.
"I probably plan out my conventions a year out in advance," Brown said. "When I heard about the fire, I was like, 'Guys, what are we going to do? What is happening?'"
Emily Foster is a vendor on behalf of the stuffed animal company AlpacaSews, traveling all over the country for shows.
"Getting to come home and sell in my backyard is such a treat," Foster said. "When one gets canceled and all your plans fall through, especially in a slow month like January, it was really stressful."
It was one of a long list of events that were postponed or canceled following the Dec. 1, 2025, fire that tore through the roof of the convention center, causing $2 million in damage.
Last month, the convention center welcomed the annual QuiltCon event, which attracted thousands to the center.
The convention center has set up a mobile kitchen at nearby Red Hat Amphitheater and installed a temporary HVAC system on the roof. It's been working on repairs for the past few months.
"It has been a lot, I'll say that, but we are excited how fast we've been able to get back up and running," Painter told WRAL News.
She said the kitchen is almost fully repaired and operational.
"We're also waiting for the last two pieces to get our kitchen operating," she said. "We hope by the first week of April, we will be in a different place and be able to start using our own kitchen again soon."
In early April, they plan to shut down McDowell Street again to install the new, permanent AC units.
Painter said once the kitchen and new air units are complete, they will start tackling the roof.
Animate! Raleigh visitors should not be affected by any of the repair work.
The convention kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday and runs through Sunday.