By Joanie Morris
For the Salisbury Post
With the weather forecast showing temperatures in the mid-80s by concert time and no rain in sight, the baton will be raised for the Salisbury Symphony’s Pops at the Post concert at sunset— approximately 8 tonight.
Festivities will go on all day, with a pre-concert warm-up from 5 to 7 p.m. by the Salisbury Swing Band on the front porch of the First Bank building at 215 W. Innes St.
Tailgaters will begin arriving in the Salisbury Post employee and First Bank parking lots in the 200 block of West Innes beginning at 1 p.m., with spaces offered on a first-come, first served basis. Once the lots are full, they will be closed.
Bring the kids, but leave the pets and booze at home. Again this year, no pets or alcohol will be allowed.
Don’t forget your chairs or blankets, and if you want a good line of sight, try to sit in front of the tailgaters, not behind them. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Stay hydrated with free Cheerwine and Diet Cheerwine, offered at the Cheerwine trailer located in the First Bank lot.
Be sure to get one of the free fans. Not only will they keep you cool, but they also double as your concert program.
Other information you need to know for tonight’s Salisbury Symphony concert:
• Vendors: Fisher Street will be closed from Church Street to the Wrenn House parking lot for vendors, who include Dolce Italian Ice, Papa John’s, Scoggins’ Farms Ice Cream, Hap’s with Herman Kesler, Meat-on-A-Stick Grill, and Castaways/Bite My Butt BBQ.
• Tailgating: Cars or trucks only; no flatbed trailers or oversized vehicles. Parking opens at 1 p.m. in the Post employee and First Bank parking lots and closes at 7 p.m. or as soon as they are full. One tent per vehicle. Tents can
not exceed 10-by-10 feet and must stay directly behind vehicles, with no overflow into other parking spaces. Tents and large umbrellas are to be taken down before the concert starts.
• Emergencies: Personnel from Salisbury Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services and Rowan Rescue Squad will be on hand. Ditto for Salisbury Police.
• Concert length: About two hours, with a 15-minute intermission. Two encores are planned.
• Restrooms: Port-a-johns will be under the drive-through canopy at First Bank, at the intersection of Church and Fisher streets, and along Fisher Street at the Post employee parking lot.
• Parking: Concert-goers will find plenty of parking downtown. Limited handicapped parking is available in the Post courtyard. There is also a drop-off area at the First Bank lot.
• Reserved seating: Four hundred reserved seats are available. Vouchers for reserved chairs will be available beginning at noon at the symphony tent in the First Bank lot. Unclaimed seats will be released to anyone who would like them at 7:30 p.m.
• Sponsors: Presenting sponsors for this year’s concert are Jim and Gerry Hurley and The Salisbury Post. Platinum sponsors are the Robertson Family Foundation, Food Lion, F&M Bank and Fred and Alice Stanback. Diamond sponsor is the Salisbury Tourism & Cultural Development Commission. Gold sponsors include Rowan Regional Medical Center and Duke Energy. Silver sponsors are Caniche, Cloninger Ford-Toyota, First Bank, Tom and Martha Smith, Trinity Oaks, Wachovia and Bank of North Carolina. Patron sponsors are BB&T, Community Bank of Rowan, Community One Bank, KKA Architecture, Bill and Nancy Stanback, Stout Heating & Air Conditioning, Taylor Clay Products, Bill and Rosemary Hall, Sun Trust Bank and Ramsay, Burgin and Smith. In-kind donations are provided by Miller David Agency, the city of Salisbury and Downtown Salisbury Inc.
Joanie Morris is a freelance reporter for the Salisbury Post. She can be reached at 704-797-4248 or news@salisburypost. com.