Fayetteville's Epic 'Red, White & You' Celebration Rocked Festival Park

Thousands of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg residents were recipients of last night's grandiose Fourth of July celebration at Festival Park, thanks to cable TV network Destination America and newspaper USA Weekend.

The patriotic bash was won by Fort Bragg's Staff Sgt. Jeff Wells' 138 word essay on why Fayetteville deserved to win the celebration. There were more than 35,000 entries and Fayetteville was one of two cities to win the celebration.

For the first time in nearly 30 years Fort Bragg was forced to cancel their annual venue due to the sequestration cuts. Fortunately, Festival Park was able to accommodate the crowds and live entertainment kicked off at 4:30p.m. and ran until the fireworks display commenced at 9:30p.m.

The General Manager of Discovery Communications-owned cable network Destination America Marc Etkind applauded Fayetteville for their great enthusiasm and quality entertainment. 

"It's a holiday that's really important to Destination America," said Etkind. "When you think about the Fourth of July, it's about honor, it's about valor, it's about patriotism, it's about 'got your back' and that's what Fayetteville and the service men and women of Fort Bragg are about. This party is for you." 

Entertainment at the event includes: Performances by Huske Hardware House Singer/Songwriter Showcase, the Mavericks headlined the venue, a crowd favorite - Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Chorus, a free “Kids’ Activity Area” in Linear Park, vendors on Festival Park Promenade and in select lawn locations, beverages and special “glow” items for sale and additional activities provided courtesy of Destination America. Fireworks lit up the sky as patriotic tunes and pop dance hits blared through the speakers. Party goers waved miniature flags high overhead that were distributed by Destination America volunteers.
Without question, this Fourth of July will go down in history for local residents thanks to the generosity of the sponsors: Destination America television channel, USA WEEKEND magazine and local partners Reed-LallierChevrolet, Huske Hardware House and the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. 

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