Cherryville’s Independence Day 2024 Event: A Hot Blast By All
By: Rusty Wise – Wise News Network
Cherryville, NC (WNN) – The much-anticipated Independence Day Celebration held by the City of Cherryville on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, was a hot blast. Perfect weather was attributed to the 6 to 10:30 PM successful event, with no rain, temperatures in the 90s, and high heat indexes expected for a July summer. According to the Cherryville Police Department, approximately 12,000 people attended the event at Rudisill Stadium, located at 401 E First Street, and the surrounding area.
This year’s band was the Swingin’ Medallions from Greenwood, SC, and DJ Johnny B provided the tunes when the band wasn’t performing. The Swingin’ Medallions have several hits, including “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love” from 1966, arguably their most significant release. They sang the song a couple of times, and many other favorite tunes were a big hit by the audience. In a WNN interview with Trumpet Player and Singer Richard Loper, who joined the band in 1986.
“They had an accidental hit with a Double Shot of My Baby’s Love. It was a record they made basically just to sell at shows. A DJ in Birmingham, Alabama, picked it up and started playing it, and it just spread from there and number one nationwide. “We’ve got second-generation guys in the band and two of the guys are sons of John McElrath who started the band, and so that’s kind of how I got started. I went to college with those guys, and they approached me one day and said, hey, now Dad’s got this little band; you want to come and play with us? I’m like, sure. And that was 1986. And so here I am almost 40 years later, still doing it. ” stated Loper.
The food truck lines were quite long for hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ, fish, tacos, ice cream, cotton candy, shaved ice, and almost anything else you could think of. One event-goer, Danielle from Fallston, NC, stated she had waited in line for 10 minutes for shaved ice but would wait for 30 if she had to. Per Mary Beth Tackett, the City Event Coordinator and Cherryville Chamber of Commerce Director, when asked about the long lines: “We cannot fit any more food vendors into that stadium. Our Food Vendors do the best they can to accommodate the crowd. Unfortunately, that night, there were just longer waiting periods.” stated Tackett.
There were also inflatable amusement rides for the kids, and the football field turf was immaculate—it was like walking on a perfectly maintained carpet. Kudos to the Cherryville High School Athletic Department for their exceptional preparation of the field for the event.
In addition to the food trucks, there was the beer garden on N Hoyle Street, where celebration patrons could sip a cool one in the heat. Proceeds for the beer sales help offset the cost of the event.
The final event of the night was the fireworks show. It’s one of the largest we’ve seen in memory. Munnerlynn Pyrotechnics, which performs shows in NC, SC, and Georgia, was in charge of the show. The higher-class fireworks shot higher in the air and could be seen over the trees in most of the city, unlike in the past, when onlookers could not see over the trees.
When asked about their final thoughts on the event, Mary Beth Tackett stated, “It was a great night! We are very thankful to everyone who came out and supported this event. We want to thank our Sponsors, the Event Team, The Cherryville Police Department, the Gaston County Sheriffs Department, The Cherryville Fire Department, GEMS, and CHS athletics.
For one night in July 2024, Cherryville, NC’s population doubled, and it was beautiful to see everyone with proud, smiling faces and having fun. That’s what Independence Celebrations are all about. I’m sure next year’s event is already in the planning stage.
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