CHARLOTTE, N.C. In the calm before Charlotte’s political whirlwind hits, thousands of area residents filed by huge-screen images of Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty at the Time Warner Cable Arena and marveled at what lies ahead.
Organizers billed Friday’s public tour of the convention hall as the first of three free public events to thank Charlotteans for their support.
Monday brings CarolinaFest 2012, a street festival in uptown Charlotte featuring musical performers, children’s activities and vendors.
On Thursday, thousands of campaign volunteers and members of the public will attend Obama’s acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium.
Elsie Davis of Charlotte, 55, waited in line for seven hours last weekend to get tickets for the president’s speech and came to the arena preview tour.
“It’s amazing that we can just come in here,” she said. “It’s like we’re a part of it.”
Charlotte resident Sheila Cummings agreed. “To know I can look at the TV and say I was there ... it’s amazing,” she said.
Organizers budgeted $7 million to prepare the arena, which will seat 15,000.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/31/3492889/arenas-dnc-makeover-unveiled.html#storylink=cpy