Charlotte, NC

WOW!!! In all the excitement coming up about Charlotte’s big July 4th wingding downtown, I forgot to include some of the other festivities happening around the area on I-Day! (Saw-reeee! I’ll make it up to ya somehow …)

For example, the theme park of Carowinds will be offering its Nights of Fire show, while WBT radio’s famed Skyshow will be at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, S.C., for the second year. The Skyshow will be following the 7:15 PM game between the Charlotte Knights and the Durham Bulls (yep … right after the last “out”!) Now, organizers are asking everyone who comes to see it to use free parking and shuttle buses from Carolina Place Mall (hey … ride the shuttle bus and you get a free ticket to a future Knights game! How ’bout that for a reason to do it??). A ticket for the game itself is $7-$12 … but stick around for the fun, okay?

The Carowinds show is at 10 p.m. and, as it does every year, promises to be a bang-and-boom-filled spectacular for folks of all ages (and it always fulfills its promise!). Again, though, it’s best to find a sensible place to park; not only do you wanna get the best view, but you also want the most sensible and least-jammed way out when the show’s done (and there’ll be a load of star-spangled spectators for that one).

Now, at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (for the newbies, it’s the old Charlotte Motor Speedway you’ve heard about … only now it’s all dolled up with a corporate name!), fireworks will be following the exciting Summer Shootout Series, which features Legends car, Bandolero and Thunder Roadster racing beginning at 7:30 PM. The fireworks display will start at 10:30 PM … a pleasant, patriotic ending to the action-packed evening. The tickets are wallet-friendly, incidentally: $7, $3 for 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger.
(By the way, I’m told that, if you encounter congestion on your way to the speedway from Interstate 85 or 485, try a shortcut by way of N.C. 49. Turn onto Morehead Road and the speedway will come up on your right.)

Once again, the “ticket” to a happy, healthy and carefree evening of lights, sounds and booms is … not to get a ticket (traffic, that is!). Be sensible out there on the road … and experience the “freedom” of safety!