Raleigh Convention Center welcomes its largest event since December 2025 fire

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 2025. Repair work is still underway.
Posted 3/13/2026, 10:20:00 PM Updated 3/13/2026, 11:00:10 PM

GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE WELL

WISHES THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY

TODAY. THE RALEIGH CONVENTION

CENTER GOT THE BIT OF NORMALCY

BACK. THE VENUE IS HOSTING ITS

LARGEST EVENT SINCE THAT

MASSIVE FIRE A FEW MONTHS AGO.

WRAL'S TESTING PATTERSON JOINS

US LIVE FROM THE CONVENTION

CENTER AS IT KEEPS PUTTING THE

FIRE BEHIND A DESTINY AND

HAVING A GREAT TIME THERE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW

IF YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY

THROUGH THE SCREEN, BUT DESPITE

THEM HAVING TO RESCHEDULE THE

WEEK, THE EVENT TO THIS

WEEKEND, THERE ARE MORE THAN

10,000 PEOPLE EXPECTED TO COME

TO THIS EVENT THIS WEEKEND.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO

SAY THAT THEY'RE EXCITED THAT

IT WAS EVEN ABLE TO HAPPEN AT

ALL.

>> IT'S REALLY SHINY THINGS

COMING STRAIGHT STRAIGHT.

YOU CAN FIND IT ALL HERE AT

ENEMY RALLY. THIS IS THE GET

AWAY FROM THE REAL WORLD ARE

IN COSPLAY. WE BOTH I THINK

BEEN COSTLY FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS

NOW. BUT THE FUN WAS PUT ON

HOLD AFTER THE CONVENTION

CENTER'S ROOF CAUGHT FIRE LATE

LAST YEAR. IT WAS DEVASTATING

NEWS, THOUGH. FIRST GAME

ORGANIZERS HAD TO RESCHEDULE

THE EVENT FROM JANUARY TO THIS

WEEKEND WHEN ONE GETS CANCELED

AND ALL OF YOUR PLANS KIND OF

ALL FALL THROUGH, ESPECIALLY IN

A SLOW MONTH FOR SALES LIKE

JANUARY. IT WAS REALLY

STRESSFUL. EMILY FOSTER HAD

TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADJUST

BOTH THE MONEY AND THE

SCHEDULING WITHOUT THE RALEIGH

CONVENTION CENTER. MY BUSINESS

WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS TODAY.

EVEN THOUGH EVENTS HAVE RESUMED

REPAIRS ARE STILL IN THE WORKS.

THE CITY SET UP THIS MOBILE

KITCHEN AT THE RED HAT

AMPHITHEATER ACROSS THE STREET

AND INSTALLED A TEMPORARY HVAC

SYSTEM ON THE ROOF. WE'VE MADE

A LOT OF PROGRESS IN FIXING

THINGS. KERRY PAINTER OVERSEES

THE CONVENTION CENTER'S

MAINTENANCE.

>> SHE SAYS PART OF MCDOWELL

STREET WILL BE SHUT DOWN IN THE

COMING LEAST TO DO MORE REPAIRS

AS WE HAVE TO BRING THAT REALLY

THINK RAIN BACK OUT TO TAKE

OFF A TEMPORARY BRING ON THE

PERMANENT AND THE LAST PIECES

OF KITCHEN EQUIPMENT TO GET IT

UP THERE. WHILE THERE'S MORE

WORK TO BE DONE, FOSTER IS JUST

GLAD ANIMATE COULD STILL

HAPPEN.

>> SO ONCE THEY MOVE OUT OF

THAT MOBILE KITCHEN AND THEY

INSTALL THAT SEE MAJOR TELLS

ME THAT L THEN PUT THEIR FOCUS

© WRAL