CHARLOTTE, NC – Over 100,000 people packed the streets of Uptown Charlotte for SkyShow Saturday night. A street festival near Romare Bearden Park as well as an international baseball game brought fans out early.
“We just couldn’t miss it!” explains East Charlotte resident Ramon Valdez. Valdez says he’s lived in Charlotte for five years, but this is his first time coming Uptown for the fireworks show.
“We just felt that this year was gonna be extra special with the BB&T down here (and) the game,” Valdez says.
This is the second year the Uptown fireworks show has been at the new ballpark. Lots of extra police were on hand for what the city declared an “extraordinary event.”
“Every capacity we have will be out on full force,” says CMPD Deputy Chief Jeff Estes. Estes says the declaration means police have extra tools and resources to keep people safe, and can keep a closer eye on suspicious activity.
“Gives us the ability just to check it out. Because of the high density of people. and the potential, you know, for catastrophic harm,” Estes says.
CMPD says there were no specific threats and people said they felt safe.
At one time, mother nature perhaps posed the most imminent threat. High winds left organizers scrambling to pull down tents, but storms moving through the area just missed Uptown.
