Akira Kyles|The Fayetteville Observer

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a lot from us in 2020, including what would have been an eventful year full of traditions and gatherings.

Here are some of the things that didn't happen in 2020:

Dogwood Festival: A four-day festival that features live performances, a food and wine event and various vendors. The event was supposed to be held in April and was rescheduled to October before beingcanceled.

Umoja Festival: A festival held in partnership with the Fayetteville Arts Councilandthe Umoja Group Inc., a nonprofit organization that initiates and supports the history, arts and culture of Africans, African-Americans and Caribbeans. The festival has commonly been held in August and always attracts a good crowd.

Fayetteville Vegan Festival: A festival to celebrate veganism in Fayetteville. The festival, which would have been in its third year, was supposed to be held in September

International Folk Festival: A festival that highlights the diversity of Fayetteville and showcases international cuisine and cultures from around the world. This year would have been the 42nd anniversary of this event. The festival was originally supposed to be held in September.The Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County hostedan hour-long online eventfeaturing cooking demonstrations, music, dance and cultural activities.

Christmas: During the Christmas Parade, usually held in early to mid-December, thousands of spectators line downtown streets to watch a procession of high school marching bands, local businesses, civic groups and others.

Halloween: The Zombie walkand prom, which is usually held at the end of October, was canceled due to the pandemic. This would have been the event's 11th year.

Fayetteville State homecoming: Fayetteville State University canceled its homecoming and associated events, including the parade.

Graduation: Various in-person high school and college graduations were cancelled or held in some virtual capacity. Cumberland County high schools receivedkeepsake programs and tickets even though their graduation ceremonies were held differentlyfrom previous years.

Sports

The Woodpeckers:Fayetteville's minor league baseball team, haven't been able to play since the beginning of the pandemic in late March. The 2021 season is set to begin with the Woodpeckers reclassified as a Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

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Staff writerAkira Kyles can be reachedatakyles@gannett.com.

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The year without everything: Here are some of the things we missed in Fayetteville in 2020 - The Fayetteville Observer