Uptown skyshow to head to Knights Stadium

[krazeeboi]

What's even funnier is the people on here that refer to Fort Mill preceding it with the words "all the way in" and "all the way to." For god sakes it's 15 miles from the center of Charlotte and takes 15 minutes when traffic is moving at a steady pace. Have people never driven out fo there 1/2 mile comfort circle? Something is wrong when people start refering to Fort Mill as "far away." But yet those people will still drive from Ballantyne to center city, which is actually a longer drive and probably more miles.

Right. People act like the show is moving to Columbia or something. It's hilarious to me.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Yea but part of the intrigue associated with these Fireworks was that they were juxtaposed against the Charlotte skyline. In Fort Mill, it's just fireworks.

I personally wouldn't drive for just fireworks when they will be going off in my backyard (not literally) and all around town, the event uptown is something I would drive to however.

[Seabreeze]

Right. People act like the show is moving to Columbia or something. It's hilarious to me.

It's the fact that there is nothing really Charlotte about Ft. Mill, so why would our major fireworks disply be there? And why would it be in a different state. I am sorry, but a city of this size deserves to have atleast one large fireworks display inside of it. I really don't understand why they didn't choose the memorial stadium site, I loved it when they had it there.

[swampfox43]

I really don't understand why they didn't choose the memorial stadium site, I loved it when they had it there.

Yes! I use to love the Memorial Stadium site too. There was plenty of room. According to the Observer, they talk like there is still time for someone else to come to the rescue and replace the WBT show in downtown.

[mediamongrel]

It's the fact that there is nothing really Charlotte about Ft. Mill, so why would our major fireworks disply be there? And why would it be in a different state. I am sorry, but a city of this size deserves to have atleast one large fireworks display inside of it. I really don't understand why they didn't choose the memorial stadium site, I loved it when they had it there.

Yes I agree that Charlotte should have a fireworks show somewhere in Charlotte. But there are plenty of places to choose from. Ballantyne and Matthews is where most of the $ that makes Charlotte work is located. But it could also take place near the University or near the lake/huntersville area. All those places are within the county. As far as there not being anything "Charlotte" about Ft. Mill, what about the Bobcats training? the Knights? all the people who drive there to buy cars or cigarettes? There is definitely a connection between the two cities. Seems people are just mad because the fireworks and Knights for that matter are still under the watch of SC instead of NC. I say get over it.

[monsoon]

There will be fireworks at Birkdale Village. That is at least in the county, and there you don't have to worry about melees, riots, thugs and other undesirable things that happened at last years event. I admit it isn't as spectacular as seeing the reflection of the fireworks off the sides of the skyscrapers.

[dubone]

Yeah, it is a good thing Huntersville has a checkpoint to keep out all undesireables . We should build one of those downtown.

[cltheel.sdl]

Yes I agree that Charlotte should have a fireworks show somewhere in Charlotte. But there are plenty of places to choose from. Ballantyne and Matthews is where most of the $ that makes Charlotte work is located. But it could also take place near the University or near the lake/huntersville area. All those places are within the county. As far as there not being anything "Charlotte" about Ft. Mill, what about the Bobcats training? the Knights? all the people who drive there to buy cars or cigarettes? There is definitely a connection between the two cities. Seems people are just mad because the fireworks and Knights for that matter are still under the watch of SC instead of NC. I say get over it.

Dude, it's not like people in Charlotte are like "Oh it's in SC. We hate SC and everyone who lives in it. Curse SC." No. People are mad because of the fact that it was uptown and that's where CHARLOTTE'S fireworks display belongs. And plus, uptown roxorz my boxorz.

[krazeeboi]

It's the fact that there is nothing really Charlotte about Ft. Mill, so why would our major fireworks disply be there? And why would it be in a different state. I am sorry, but a city of this size deserves to have atleast one large fireworks display inside of it. I really don't understand why they didn't choose the memorial stadium site, I loved it when they had it there.

I agree that the show should be in Charlotte as well, but my point was that Fort Mill is not light years away from Charlotte; it's practically South Charlotte, SC. Besides having Charlotte teams playing and training there, both towns share Carowinds and are home to an ever-growing number of transplants. I just find it funny that the implication is that somehow, the blow would somehow be softened if the show were moved to Matthews or Davidson since it's not in a different state. Charlotte is on the state line, and for all practical purposes here, the SC/NC border in only political in nature--meaning that the argument of "it's in another state" is irrelevant. What IS relevant, however, is that the show is moving out of Charlotte to the suburbs, and Fort Mill is just as much a suburb of Charlotte as any of its NC suburbs.

[reverbandwhiskey]

1. Charlotte's Firework display belongs in CHARLOTTE, not South Carolina

2. Traffic will be a complete nightmare. Have you ever tried to go a Knight's game? It took me over an hour to get there from Pineville on opening day.

3. Why didn't the city offer to help pay for the security costs?

[DigitalSky]

It's also important to note that the bobcats don't train in Fort Mill anymore, they have their own practice facility in the bobcats arena now.

[cinco]

i'm sorry, nothing against ft. mill... but i wouldn't go there to see fireworks anymore than i'd go to carowinds or birkdale village. all these places are great... but i think the point is that it has become a tradition in uptown and to not have it tugs on the heart strings. the fact that ft. mill landed OUR skyshow is irrelovent. i would've been just as upset had it been in university city.

while i have never heard anyone say they were upset over charlotte's basketball team practicing in S.C. - i have heard and even felt some frustration about the CHARLOTTE knights being based out of FT. MILL. it's the same principal as the fireworks.

what if SPOLETO left charleston for wilmington, nc?

[queensguy06]

OK, I live here in Tega Cay, and for those that don't know Tega Cay and Fort Mill are pretty much one in the same. Let's clarify some things here.

First, it is FORT MILL...not Ft. Mill; sorry, but that just aggrevates the daylights outta me.

Second, people act like Fort Mill is some distant land across the border when in fact it is not. I commute to Charlotte everyday with about 30-40,000 other residents in York County, most of which live further south in Rock Hill.

Third, it is not so much that WBT is moving the fireworks to Fort Mill as Charlotte is just losing their fireworks show. Every year there have been fireworks at Carowinds and at Knight's Stadium, and I gaurentee that the fireworks show at Knight's Stadium will be the same as it has always been - for the people that attend the baseball game. For God's sake, there isn't anywhere other than that to watch the fireworks! What? Are people going to drive down here from Charlotte to park at Fort Mill Ford or Texaco and watch the fireworks??

[cinco]

First, it is FORT MILL...not Ft. Mill; sorry, but that just aggrevates the daylights outta me.

thats rough... aggrevation by abbreviation.

[mediamongrel]

1. Charlotte's Firework display belongs in CHARLOTTE, not South Carolina

2. Traffic will be a complete nightmare. Have you ever tried to go a Knight's game? It took me over an hour to get there from Pineville on opening day.

3. Why didn't the city offer to help pay for the security costs?

Opening day was the busiest of the year. There isn't anyone at the games now (comparitively speaking).

Plus, I find it very hard to believe it took you an hour to get from Pineville to Fort Mill. Maybe 30 minutes at the most on a busy day. But an hour? You can take Rt. 51 near the mall through downtown Pineville over the RR tracks, and continue on to Fort Mill that way. It shouldn't take you more than 30 mins tops. If it took you an hour there must have been some horrible accident or something. 485 east usually backs up from the mall back to I-77, but it takes 20-30 mins even when traffic is backed up. 485 west usually doesn't have any problems. (unless there was an accident)

It's also important to note that the bobcats don't train in Fort Mill anymore, they have their own practice facility in the bobcats arena now.

dont they still have the sign up that says they train there? they did last time i drove down 77 to fort mill

[Charlotte_native]

I've heard neighbors say they would not want to be anywhere near uptown after what happened last year. If that kind of sentiment is commonplace, I can't say I blame WBT.

Those same people ignore the crime in their area. Crime for the fireworks is so very minimal -- this is just an easy "out" for folks that aren't in tune with an urban life. Refer them to the constant articles about crime all over the semi-rural areas around us.

[Charlotte_native]

I actually don't mind that WBT moved THIER show out of town. They don't have a copyright or sole chance at a CHARLOTTE fireworks show so it isn't like it is gone forever. Let them go to Fort Mill or anywhere else for that matter. I hope they drag their average listener down there with them.

People will come to see fireworks in town no matter who sponsors it (little secret here, the general population could care less who foots the bill as long as they don't) and don't think for a minute that others won't be willing to sponsor this. Maybe we will miss a year, but maybe not. It isn't that hard to put together if you have the funds, and we have plenty of corps. with plenty of funds.

I think WBT did us a favor by getting out of the way so, perhaps, a fresh new look can be painted for our 4th celebration that isn't promoted by a bitter right-wing radio station.

And the melee was just an excuse -- I agree with Metro completely, the new corporation saw a chance to join an already existing fireworks display and saved some cash.

[monsoon]

Tens of thousands of peeps had no problem going to look at Christmas Lights when that was in Ft. Mill, I'm not so sure why there would be an issue with going to go look at fireworks there.

[mediamongrel]

Tens of thousands of peeps had no problem going to look at Christmas Lights when that was in Ft. Mill, I'm not so sure why there would be an issue with going to go look at fireworks there.

I dont think there really is, it's just a few people screaming loudly. Some people are just too lazy to drive period. For a while I used to commute from Lexington to Greensboro about 10 years ago. The drive wasn't all that bad, and some days I could make it in under 30 min. If people cant drive to Fort Mill they must be parapalegics confined to their house of something. If it's really about the NC vs. SC thing, just get over it until it moves back to NC in a year or two. I doubt it will be in Fort Mill permanently.

[monsoon]

I honestly don't think there is a NC/SC thing for most people in this area. People have no problem going to SC to get their cheap gas, cheap booze lottery tickets and fireworks. People in SC have no problem coming into NC to buy their booze on Sunday, go to the strip clubs, and to buy NC lottery tickets. I-77 between the two states is one of the most traveled roads in the Carolinas and York is now the biggest county in the metro outside of Mecklenburg.

I think people in Charlotte have more in common with people in York than they do with the inhabitants of Gaston, Cabarrus or Union counties.

[Seabreeze]

I agree that the show should be in Charlotte as well, but my point was that Fort Mill is not light years away from Charlotte; it's practically South Charlotte, SC. Besides having Charlotte teams playing and training there, both towns share Carowinds and are home to an ever-growing number of transplants. I just find it funny that the implication is that somehow, the blow would somehow be softened if the show were moved to Matthews or Davidson since it's not in a different state. Charlotte is on the state line, and for all practical purposes here, the SC/NC border in only political in nature--meaning that the argument of "it's in another state" is irrelevant. What IS relevant, however, is that the show is moving out of Charlotte to the suburbs, and Fort Mill is just as much a suburb of Charlotte as any of its NC suburbs.

Well I ride the bus and cabs, and that makes Ft. Mill seem like light years away... or atleast 45-60 dollars away.

[dubone]

Abbreviations and NC-SC rivalries aside, the thing is Fort Mill already had two fireworks shows planned, Carowinds and Knights, before WBT made this decision. Lake Norman has a fireworks show planned.

But uptown will not have any. Not a single show.

It has nothing to do with how far Fort Mill is from the city, or whether Fort Mill is a part of the metro area, as clearly it isn't that far and it is a part of the metro area. The point is, downtown Charlotte is the heart of the entire region, with a significant number of people living within a couple miles, within eyeshot of the downtown fireworks show. But on Independence Day, there will not be any fireworks show, even though it has had one for decades.

I repeat Fort Mill would still have had fireworks, in fact two shows, if the uptown show had continued as planned. 80,000 people came to downtown to watch it, and probably an equal number watched it from half a mile to two miles away (as I did). 17 individuals were arrested, 0.02125% of the people in attendance. It is upsetting that we could lose our fireworks show because of that.

Not to mention that this is symbolic of the issue of suburban flight, which in my belief system is the source of significant problems in US culture. It wouldn't be so much work to over come the issues caused by large numbers of people, but instead, by fleeing, those problems coalesce and begin to define the place. Downtown has suffered from that for decades, and we are trying to overcome that. WBT's decision is a major setback in winning back the perception.

[krazeeboi]

what if SPOLETO left charleston for wilmington, nc?

That would be stupid because Wilmington is not in the Charleston metro area. If the festival moved to North Charleston or Mount Pleasant, that would be a more accurate comparison.

And I agree that the fireworks show belongs in uptown Charlotte, not anywhere in South Carolina or anywhere else in North Carolina.

[monsoon]

Not to mention that this is symbolic of the issue of suburban flight, which in my belief system is the source of significant problems in US culture. It wouldn't be so much work to over come the issues caused by large numbers of people, but instead, by fleeing, those problems coalesce and begin to define the place. Downtown has suffered from that for decades, and we are trying to overcome that. WBT's decision is a major setback in winning back the perception.

Ahh but did we not have several other conversations where the general consensus was that it was ok of downtown to be priced out of the means of most people, and only those who had a lot of money deserved a spot there? People go to suburbia because it is less expensive, in this area offers a decent quality of life, and many places do offer a sense of community that people are looking for. You don't find that in an area full of exclusive high priced condos, sports and entertainment venues, expensive restaurants, and really nothing else that caters to day to day living. Charlotte, like many cities, has chosen to make downtown a place for fun, but often that is contrary to a place where people actually want to live.

Ironically the making of downtown Charlotte into something like Emerald City is driving out the very things, like fireworks, that offer an appeal to more than just a select few people.

[turbocraig]

Was that the general consensus? That only people with lots of money "deserved" to live there and enjoy the benefits? Not to derail the topic at hand, but how does having the fireworks show in what's closest to uber-moneyed South Charlotte benefit the people in close-in, more disadvantaged neighborhoods like Wilmore, Cherry, Greer Heights, Belmont, Optimist Park, etc? The center city fireworks provided entertainment for lots of "unmoneyed" people precisely because it was close to all types of neighborhoods. Just because they were shot off inside the loop didn't limit the entertainment value to just that specific area.