I know I’m weighing in on this one a little bit late, but last week was crazy.
I don’t blame WBT for moving the SkyShow elsewhere for economic reasons, but I’m troubled by the slow erosion of uptown traditions.
In the last few years, we’ve lost CityFest, the uptown music festival, and the New Year’s Eve gathering was considerably smaller than previous years. And now the SkyShow is gone.
City leaders have mostly brushed off each cancelled or downsized event. They say uptown is a thriving business and entertainment district and doesn’t need planned events to draw people here. Or they say, these types of events hurt uptown businesses because of street closures.
I’m not buying it.
CityFest, New Year’s Eve and the SkyShow are the type of events that solidify uptown’s standing as the heart of the city. Charlotte is spreading. Every little pocket community surrounding the city has bars and restaurants. Unless you like dance clubs and/or performing arts, you have fewer reasons to come uptown because the suburbs have similar amenities.
Longstanding events, such as the SkyShow and next week’s Food Lion Speed Street 600 Festival, help bring this us all together in the heart of the city.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
It's deeper than the SkyShow
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5 comments:
Get real.
Maybe if young hostile black people with nothing better to do weren't allowed to ruin last years festivities by wilding out and roaming around the streets intimidating families,throwing rocks,brandishing weapons and shooting off guns the Skyshow would still be uptown..
According to WBT of course it's an "economic issue". They know better to say why it's really not happening.
As usual,the few ruin it for many. Who wants to bring their family uptown at night only to be intimidated by a bunch of angry,violent, and unpredictable street thugs??
I agree, Tonya. For so long, CLT was a ghost town after 5. Planned events helped change that. As so many stated last week, these events became annual traditions.
I'm so sick of hearing how CLT wants to be a world-class city (WCC). You think NYC would let its New Year's or 4th of July events drift over to Jersey?
And, yeah, the cops blew it last year. Lesson learned, I would hope.
Just another example of the twisted priorites of our elected officials.
Unfortunately, to many Uptown is becoming more like many of the larger inner cities in the US - a place where crime and violence tends to occur. Here in CLT, people feel more comfortable in the safety of their homes and/or communities - no traffic, no parking issues, and people more like themselves. A few spoiled it for the rest of us but what we must do is turn the tide, show the positives in having these events in the Center City and start new traditions. As the city grows, we'll have to have multiple fireworks events anyway - we can just start in 2006.
perhaps you've forgotten about last year's Skyshow? people were out of control, tipping over dumpsters, trash cans and fighting. I believe it was labeled a melee, defined as a violent free-for-all.
mike,
did the cops blow it last year or did the thugs? open your eyes to what really happened. cops were trying to control people who were destroying our city & fighting. how can you blame them and not those who were rioting?
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