With relaxing tunes, good food and fun and games, people from all over enjoyed four days of the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival without any major incidents.
Gary Leonhardt, the director of Morganton Parks and Recreation and event coordinator, said despite the record crowds the festival ran smoothly all week. Leonhardt projected the crowds were 25 percent larger each day than last year and he expected there was 11,000 revelers on Friday night.
A parking plan was implemented this year to ease the problems with traffic from previous years, Leonhardt said.
Maj. Billy Bradshaw of Morganton Public Safety said although the crowds were larger, officers did not have any problems maintaining the safety of festival attendees.
Bradshaw said, "You have a good, calm crowd, and they come to listen to the music."
The director said he has received several compliments from residents of Morganton and out-of-towners on their festival experience.
Leonhardt said the only problem he has faced this weekend was, "figuring out where to put a crowd," a minimal problem considering the various problems that could have surfaced.
Despite the lessons learned at the Catawba River Soccer Complex, Leonhardt said organizers would have to learn how to handle a new venue next year, Catawba Meadows Park.
Leonhardt said the park would serve as a permanent place for the festival with better parking options and an adequate supply of water and power for vendors.
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