The reopening after lockdown has been in the planning pipeline since businesses were first forced to close the best part of two months ago.

"We're having a television crew here on Thursday to do a television promo as part of our reopening," local businessman Trevor Richards of Campbell's Store and Morpeth Art Gallery said. "We'll be showing that in a lot of the other main regional centres, places like Tamworth, Armidale, Mudgee, Orange, Bathurst and so on.

"Hopefully that will help drive some tourism this way.

"We didn't want to invest in a street parade or anything like that that's over in day. This way we can keep it going for a while."

The various traders have held meetings and agreed that the best plan of action was for the whole place to open as one.

"Everything will open," Mr Richards said. "Shops, cafes, museums, specialty shops, the brewery, clothing stores, gift shops ... the lot.

"We're hearing that accommodation is heavily booked in the region for the weekend, and we're hoping some of that will come our way."

He said that aside from the usual businesses, there are new shops coming as well.

"We have a fairy shop moving in, a new brewery coming although that may take a few weeks yet, so things are looking good."