— information courtesy of Vance County Tourism
Satterwhite Point Park was THE place to be over the Independence Day holiday, and tourism and park officials said the daylong celebration on Saturday, July 5 brought out thousands of people to enjoy lakeside activities.
Pam Hester with Vance County Tourism called it “an unprecedented turnout,” which featured food vendors, music and more leading up to the evening’s fireworks display.
According to State Parks Superintendent Bill Stanley, “This is the first time in 10 years I can remember hitting the complete parking capacity.”
According to State Parks traffic counter, 2,167 vehicles entered the park on Saturday, July 5. Using a standard estimate of three occupants per vehicle, that means at least 6,501 people attended the park alone.
And that doesn’t count the hundreds who arrived by boat or who gathered at nearby locations to view the show.
Campsite usage hit peak levels, too, and the campground reached 100 percent capacity well before the weekend of the Fourth. A limited number of sites, typically held back for emergencies such as double bookings or maintenance issues, were also fully utilized by Saturday, according to Hester. “The strong demand reaffirms that visitors specifically plan their vacations around the annual celebration. State Parks reported approximately $28,000 in park fees collected, directly tied to the influx of holiday visitors and fireworks anticipation.”
Local vendors benefited significantly from the crowd, too. Food and novelty vendors reported selling out before the end of the evening.
Participating businesses included: Bob’s Wind Planes, Ships, and Novelties; Bun on the Run; De Tocho Morocho; DPC Concessions; Hudson’s Grill & Chili; Kernel Craze; King Southern Style Cooking; Ninja Realty; R J’s Grill; and Taba’s Facepainting.
The event would not be possible without the support of local agencies, volunteers and the community. Their collective effort delivered a safe, fun and memorable celebration for all in attendance.
- Bill Stanley and every member of the State Parks Team go above and beyond!
- Vance County Rescue
- NC HWY Patrol
- Vance County Sherrif’s Office
- Vance County EMS
- NC DOT
- NC Wildlife Commission
- NC Fire Marshal
- Vance County Fire Marshal
- Vance County Fire Department
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Hicksboro Fire Department
- Vance County Commissioners
- Chris Senter
- A Fresh Potti
- Warren County DOT
- Granville County Emergency Management
- DJ Jay
- Pyro Shows East Coast
- The Daily Dispatch
- WIZS Radio
- Tom Burleson, Graham Nobles, Larry Allen
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