Raleigh Convention Center hosts first event since roof fire shuttered doors last month

January 17, 2026

CBS 17 | 01.17.2026

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s go time for athletes at the Raleigh Convention Center this weekend as the building opens its doors for the first major event since a roof fire shut it down last month.

This weekend, the City of Oaks Volleyball Tournament marks the first major event in the cleaned-up building.

Organizers behind the City of Oaks Volleyball Tournament are thankful because they said there was no option to move this event.

“This event is really important to literally thousands of young athletes across five states,” said Sherry Fadool, executive director of the Triangle Volleyball Club.

Drone shot of Raleigh Convention Center (Dave Hattman/CBS 17)

It’s a welcome sight a month after a fire damaged the Convention Center, leaving January’s schedule in limbo. The Raleigh Fire Department battled a 2-alarm fire on December 1, 2025 that they said stemmed from mechanical issues in the building.

Officials at the Convention Center underwent several stages of repairs from December into mid-January, leading some events to cancel, postpone or move to other venues.

https://c72cb5a30e7f02bd8c209cfe9a94eaa4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.htmlLanes closed around Raleigh Convention Center as crews continue work after fire

The City of Raleigh, who operates the Convention Center, pulled the plug on all events two days after the fire in December to focus on repairs. Crews are still working through the weekend to take equipment off the roof and complete repairs on the HVAC system.

Two lanes of South McDowell Street in downtown Raleigh will be closed through this weekend after crews brought a crane in to complete work on the building's roof in the aftermath of last month's fire. — Crews repairing Raleigh Convention Center (CBS 17)

The resilient nature of the Raleigh Convention Center seemed familiar to the organizers behind the City of Oaks Volleyball Tournament.

“We were actually the first event after the pandemic, and so we’re used to this,” said Fadool. “We have a lot of trust in the people here, and at the end of the day we’re all competitors and being first is always the best.”

The 3-day competition brings thousands of boys and girls showing off their skills and trying to make an impression on college recruiting coaches. Fadool, who said well over 60 to 70 college coaches are expected to show up to the tournament, said this is major for the athletes and needed the building to be ready this very weekend.

“We don’t have any flexibility in our date, and we bring in these courts, all these courts are freighted in, and we set them all up, so yeah, it’s go time,” she said. “We are so thankful for the Raleigh Fire Department and for the City of Raleigh and all the work they did to get this building back online.”

This year, where more than 250 teams compete annually, marks the 11th year of this event.