CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Live events, festivals, and fairs are making a comeback in the Queen City this summer and fall.
The Hola Charlotte Festival hosted by Norsan Media announced it will be held in person in Uptown on Oct. 9 after hosting a virtual festival last year amid the pandemic. Denise Coleman, chief of staff and community affairs manager for Norsan Media, said the decision was made about two weeks ago to move forward with plans for the event.
“We're like 'OK, now we could do this festival, and now we're, you know, seeing how we can make it happen so it's safe for everybody,” Coleman said.
According to the Hola Charlotte Festival website, it “is the largest Hispanic Heritage celebration in Charlotte highlighting Latin American culture and all its richness.”
Coleman said the festival includes food and music representing different Latin American countries.
“If you’re from a group of volunteers from Colombia, or from Ecuador, and Puerto Rico and you want to highlight maybe your costumes, your dancing, your food,” said Coleman, “then this is the place to do it.”
Since the community was not able to gather in person for the festival last year, Coleman said that the festival this year holds even more meaning.
"I think it's going to be huge for them. I know that we've all struggled and it has been a difficult year,” Coleman said. "There's that need to have that connection again with, you know, other people that enjoy the same things that we do."
The festival will run from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. along Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte on Oct. 9. The event is free to attendees.
Spectrum Center announced Thursday it will open at 100% capacity for live events starting in August.
"Ever since we stopped doing events, we've been trying to get back to live events,” said Donna Julian, executive vice president and Spectrum Center general manager.
The Harlem Globetrotters are first up in Spectrum Center's lineup of full capacity events starting on Aug. 8. Other events throughout the late summer and fall include concerts, wrestling, and comedy shows.
Masks are recommended but not required, and the venue plans to keep health and safety protocols in place.
"Cleaning, you know, sanitization and all that stuff that we kind of did prior to this,” Julian said. "Cause we want to make sure people feel very comfortable coming in, as well as mobile ticketing and cashless."
The announcement at Spectrum Center comes after it was announced Bank of America Stadium would be at 100% capacity for football games and concerts in the late summer and fall.
Contact Kendall Morris at kmorris2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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