Send your concerns, Complaints and suggestions to:
Citymanager@raleighnc.gov
Concerning the money spent. most of the "savings" comes from increased business revenue (which also means the city doesn't have to find as many Vendors) and from that increased revenue, comes increased taxes paid to the city. There are ways to get around a lot of the expense.
1- contact non profit groups and get more of them to participate. (Military groups, are a GREAT resource for a 4th celebration. of which I have NOT seen much of the last couple of years and since they ARE the ENTIRE reason we can celebrate this day. they should DEFINITELY be a MAJOR part of this celebration)
2- Contact businesses and the community and get them to donate to the nonprofits for this event. This becomes a win-win, because nonprofits are more likely have free events and it becomes a tax write off for the community and business.
The 4th celebrates our countries independence and the military who won us and has kept us that freedom. it is NOT "lets go spend an absorbent amount of money". It is to be a celebration to benefit rich and poor. And the current Downtown celebration seems to ONLY be for people who want to spend a lot of money for food and entertainment. it is NOT a place people can take a picnic and enjoy their own games. Trying to "pull a cooler" through that mess of downtown is a joke, vs having it in a type of park location (as the majority of the other cities do) for families to be able to "pick a spot" and camp out, then wander as they wish.
as Pitroad said "My concern with holding an event in such a congested environment (downtown) is what took place on Fayetteville Street between the period of the 2 firework displays. Several hundred people were involved in some type of
incident, that the news outlets have yet to completely report, that resulted in a stampede. What would have resulted if that incident had taken place when so many young children were present ? When I watched the video of the fireworks event carried out on Friday night in Garner, in a open park type involvement (lawn chairs; picnics; etc), it was so obvious that what the city of Raleigh is doing is so wrong. They are risking the safety of families for the sake of
downtown business. My thoughts are the city should give the holiday festivities back to the families of Raleigh and return the fireworks to the fairgrounds and perhaps someday to the a Dix Park scenario."
being that crowded and that out of hand it is NOT "safe for families". Raleigh isn't set up as a "family event" its set up for a lot of adults and teenagers to spend a lot of money. We also attended the Garner event and it was Ideal. They had A LOT of space for people to spread out and enjoy themselves. there were MANY "free" games and activities for children as well as nice "free entertainment" The firework show was spectacular and the finale of it lit the sky and the park to daylight and still lasted a while. BEST show I've seen since moving here. THAT is how the 4th should be celebrated and I can defiantly say we will be going EVERY year and telling all that we know to attend it as well. And as long as Raleigh's celebration remains as it is, we will avoid that one and tell everyone else to avoid it as well.
There have been different "stories" of what happened to (even heard it was a "gang fight") cause the commotion between the firework shows, but a lot of it comes from hysteria and a mad rush to get to a second showing of fireworks.
ALL of the police I talked to
BOTH years told me that they
HATE it being held downtown and makes their job a
thousand times harder.
EVERY ONE of them told me they wanted it moved back to the fairgrounds or a similar location. They also prefer the "controlled environment".
And as for "not going downtown for anything" I'm sorry and your missing out because Downtown Raleigh does have a lot of history, businesses and other fun events to attend.
DPK as for your comment of
"Yeah while I admire your passion for this, it's not going to happen. The city has made up its mind about where it wants to hold major events like this and a couple letters isn't going to change that." THIS type of thinking is what makes these events STAY as they are. It was the massive amount of complaints they received LAST year that caused them to make the changes they did THIS year. If you, your family, friends and everyone else you know all contacts them to complain (and even give your input and suggestions on how YOU think it will be better) then things will change and who knows YOUR suggestion may just be one they take and use.
They didn't do both showing on Fayettville street because the amount of people gathered for them
COULD NOT SEE THEM. THAT was their biggest mistake Last year and the reason they added the 2nd location this year.
As per the "traffic control" it is VERY difficult for the police to control such a LARGE area (again one of the reason
EACH of the officers I spoke with PREFERRED the Fairground over Downtown Raleigh).
"In regard to rain and lack of shelter, that's totally not the cities problem. Weather happens. If anything you are more unsheltered at the fair grounds. Check the weather and bring a derpin umbrella." I'm sorry this is just a rude and unthoughtful statement. The CITY is putting on the event and there for DOES have the "problem" of doing all they can to make the event enjoyable, especially when they know that rain is VERY likely to occur as to the area we live in. and as to being "
more unsheltered at the fair grounds" have you not been there?????? Um just HOW many buildings are on the fairground property? that give people a place to "shelter from the rain"???????
I know a few people who were parking on the edges of the above map. so YES they had a ways to walk. We had friends that didn't even join us for the fireworks because it was "too far" for their family to get to us from where they had to park.
" It's not going back to the Fairgrounds, sorry." THIS is "narrow minded" thinking.
The turn out this year was actually less then last year and on Fayettveille Street there was even less offered. they could have condensed it to half the area they used, there was so much space between venders and many of the venders we spoke to ALSO stated what a horrible situation they thought this was and a some of them stated they didn't think they would be back next year.
The MORE people who complain and EMAIL them the complaints the MORE we can change these problems.
shellsd I haven't seen any news reports (too busy to be in front of a TV) but I find it Funny that WRAL said it was such a good show and ABC11 said it was horrible. I don't think I saw a SINGLE WRAL camera downtown (DID see them in Garner) but ONLY saw ABC11 downtown and they were also at the Amphitheater and made MANY comments there about all of the problems.
We had a "good" time but defiantly NOT "great", we DID have a GREAT time in Garner though.
Its nice that you had a nice trek back to the Hotel, but there is NO WAY the hotels could handle EVERYONE who goes downtown for this event. Nor does everyone have the money to spend on doing this. So it may be nice that YOU have this convince, but what about putting some thought into OTHER people and how it can be better for the TEN"S of THOUSANDS of OTHER people who attend???? It is people being selfish and ONLY thinking of themselves that causes these types of problems. My complaint on here and the reason I started it, is NOT just all for myself, but for the many other people who attend as well and how to make it nicer and easier on all for ALL to enjoy. Just because we have the money to spend on hotels and restaurants and other things, doesn't mean we want to have to spend it for this type of activity and I know MANY families who do NOT have the money to do such thing. In Raleigh this celebration has turned into money, money , money and NOT the REAL reason that it SHOULD be.
"July 4th Fireworks to me has always meant spreading a blanket , a picnic, kids playing
til dark !!" yes THIS is what the 4th should be NOT All about MONEY.
"I totally agree they need to figure out ways to improve the actual firework display itself, but expecting someone to change venues, and pay more money doing so when they are already performing on a free stage to a "packed house" is going to take something more than sending an email." No it is THOUSANDS of people sending Emails and complaining that is going to cause the change.
"No, it won't. What's it matter to the City of Raleigh if less people come. They're still paying $0 to shoot them off downtown as opposed to the $1000s the State Fairgrounds was charging to shoot them off there. It's also my understanding that the city had to pay for State Troopers to do traffic control at the Fairgrounds while having it downtown they're able to employ RPD.
Yes it WILL matter to the City of Raleigh if less people come and the less and less that Don't come each year will make more of a difference for them. Downtown is NOT $0 for them, they still spend money on all of this, its just less because they don't pay for the area and they get the money in from all of the Tax revenue. and So your solution is to employ MORE RPD and take them away from their families and make their job MORE difficult????
As Per "
I think the only solution is having the fireworks be only at the amphitheater" it is NOT the ONLY solution, and the Amphitheater is NOT big enough to hold a crowd that size.
Again if people want a change then they MUST send emails and make phone calls to the people in charge and Voice your opinions to THEM.
Citymanager@raleighnc.gov
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