June 18, 2009

Charlotte, NC--  Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation invites the public to view July 4th fireworks in uptown Charlotte from Memorial Stadium, 310 North Kings Drive. The stadium will host the US Airways Family Fun Festival, benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank. The festival begins at 6pm and runs through the fireworks display called Red, White and Boom! 2009 presented by Lance which starts after dark.

Admission to Family Fun Festival is FREE, and the festival features live music and games for kids of all ages. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be on sale inside the stadium (no food or beverages may be brought in). Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and use the stadium field as a prime viewing area!  Most seating in Memorial Stadium will also be available for public use. Recent erosion issues at Memorial will NOT affect this event.

Everyone is asked to bring non-perishable food to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed the hungry in our area. That donation will qualify people for prize drawings which include a $500 voucher to fly anywhere in the continental US on US Airways!

The Red, White and Boom! 2009 presented by Lance  fireworks display will be staged from the Central Piedmont Community College campus. Some streets around the campus will close at 8pm to accommodate the fallout zone, so traffic in the area will be heavy. Streets will reopen immediately after the show. The show is scheduled to begin after dark at 9:30pm, and the fireworks will last about 20 minutes. The display will be synched to a music track exclusively on 96.9 FM WKKT, The Kat and played live at the stadium.

Parking will be available at Memorial Stadium lots, off 7th Street, for $5. Other off street parking will be available in decks around uptown. Parking will be not be allowed along many streets avoid restricting traffic lanes. Parking is discouraged in neighborhoods in the surrounding area such as Elizabeth, First, Third and Fourth Wards. Use of public transit is encouraged. The fireworks can also be viewed from various locations around the city. Charlotte Center City Partners says, if you are in the eastern part of the city and you can see the skyline, chances are, you can see the fireworks.

Sponsors and partners in the July 4th event include Lance, US Airways, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, The Kat WKKT, Lite 102.9 WLYT, CMPD and Charlotte Center City Partners.