Pop sensation! Cheerwine Festival tops 100,000 attendance, according to city officials

SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - The attendance for Saturday’s Cheerwine Festival in downtown Salisbury has topped the attendance for all previous events, according to the City of Salisbury.

Salisbury Parks & Recreation Director Nick Aceves estimated Saturday’s crowd at 100,000.

The weather on Saturday was nearly perfect with partially overcast skies and a temperature in the 70′s.

The main attractions for this year’s festival included several live musical acts including pop band Neon Trees, lots of vendors selling a wide variety of food and crafts, and a kid’s zone that attracted families to a bounce house, a climbing wall, and other attractions.

Salisbury Police reported few problems during the festival and said there were no arrests directly associated with those attending. Police did say that some officers were called to respond to a nearby park to break up a fight involving several juveniles.

Parking was at a premium for the event with parking lots all around downtown filled. Some drivers who parked illegally were towed by business owners, according to accounts on social media.

Long lines were reported at both the West End Plaza and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College where the city was operating shuttle buses to take people to the festival.