July 4th, 2023
10:24 PM
80 Degrees
Event- Fireworks are a staple on the 4th of July and the only show Ive ever been to in the Charlotte area is the uptown showing. It is a large event hosted from the Charlotte Knights stadium after the baseball game every year. You can watch the game and then view them from your seats or come to uptown around dusk as most people do. They are scheduled to start at 9:30 which is already late enough, but of course they don't start on time. They started closed to 10. It is a fun show to watch, but on a week when the holiday falls in the middle it can be a stretch to make it. Not ideal for the older crowd, the younger crowd and those who have to work the next morning. In short, just about every damn body.
Vibe- So strange...as you cruise around the different areas in uptown the vibe changes hard and fast. Down around the French Quarter and by Roman Bearden park there are a lot of teens. These areas are rowdy. This year they ended up having brawls and other teenage shenanigans. They also brought their own fire works and set them off in the streets and alleys which is too dangerous and unregulated to want to be around.
On the parking decks where we viewed from it was a family feel. Couples young and old clearly out for date night. Others were small families with parents and kids. Quite a few grandparents and all of the grandkids.I guess this make sense with retired old heads and the kids out of school for the summer.
Parking- A certified cluster. The traffic in, parking, and traffic out are all a cluster. Heading in is the worst because so many people are moving around and you are following regular traffic laws to get to your destination. Leaving, you don't use traffic lights. The police are controlling the crosswalks and this helps the flow for cars especially.
Traffic is a mother no one ever want to deal with but this is bearable. The parking and traffic situation was better than I remember it last year. Luckily, it only took about 20 minutes to get out of the deck and to the outskirts of uptown. The deck attendant at that location told us last year it took about 2.5 hours to exit so there is a clear improvement.
Recommendation- If you like fireworks and are looking for a fun date night or a night out with the kids it can make for a fun night. Just plan not to be home until 11 or midnight. Also eat before going and take snacks, but remember that getting to a bathroom is inconvenient at the top of a parking deck covered in people. The grande finale is of course the best part and some people skip out right before it to beat the traffic ....not worth it. If you come just to watch the first half of the show just stay home or park far out from the city but somewhere that still has a viewpoint. Even if you exit early you will likely still be stuck because of all the stagnant foot traffic watching the show. Live in the moment, enjoy the show, and pray for a quick exit.
Avoid the teens at all costs, park on a deck. Stay off the streets unless you ride in on the light rail or a lime scooter. Use a prior date night in uptown to scope out where you would like to view before getting into the city to avoid the stress of gambling on a random deck. BRING A CHAIR! You can make do sitting on the curb or the top of the car but it is a 15-20 minute show so those arent your most comfortable options.
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