Parade, concert, shuttles and road closures all set for downtown Saturday
Candice did it! She’s amazing, she’s ours, and she really did it. Now it’s time for Beaufort to show what it can do for our hometown American Idol, to the rest of the nation. The Hometown Hero visit is set for Saturday starting with a parade at 5pm. The parade will be followed by a concert by Candice herself at 7pm on a newly constructed stage at the intersection of Bay and Charles Streets.
Beaufort is going to be busting at the seams, and not just with pride but with people too. Not kidding. Estimates are as many as 20,000 expected in downtown, which could quite possibly be the largest crowd to ever gather in the City. ‘A Taste of Beaufort’ will be hopping with festival goers with its popular 5K race in the morning and entertainment and great local food all day.
Thanks to quick coordination by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, there will be free shuttle service to and from the parade and concert from 2pm to 10 pm, with two shuttle location spots, the Beaufort County Government Center (parking lot at the corner of Boundary St. and Ribaut Rd.) and the Beaufort High School Parking lot (in front of the high school). Spectators will be dropped off at the Visitor Center bus loading area near the corner of Carteret & Craven Streets. This is also where you can reload to return to your vehicle.
Parking will be EXTREMELY limited so please use the shuttles. There will not be available parking downtown.
As far as street closures are concerned, there’s quite a bit of that going on too. A Taste of Beaufort’s 5K Bridge Run has street closures from 8 to 930am. Closed will be Bay Street, from Newcastle Street to Carteret Street; the Woods Memorial Bridge; Sea Island Parkway to Meridian Road; Meridian Road to Youmans.
For the parade, the street closures begin at 4pm. The closures follow the route. Closed will be Bay Street, from Bladen Street to Newcastle Street, turning on North Street, turning on Church Street.
For the Candice Glover, street closures at 5pm for Bay Street, from Carteret Street to Charles Street. The City of Beaufort Police Department representatives will allow as many cars to get out as possible prior to 5pm, but once the road is closed cars will have to stay until the street reopens, according to a release from Main Street Beaufort, USA.
MEET CANDICE AT THE AIRPORT!
Candice’s flight is scheduled to land Friday night at Signature Flight Support, located at 1001 Davidson Drive, Ste 150, at the Savannah International Airport. Fans can show up roaring to meet Candice there. It’s recommended that you arrive by 8pm…with signs in hand. (Go Candice!)
DONATIONS – CANDICE GLOVER COMMUNITY CELEBRATION FUND
To assist in offsetting some of the cost of the events to the city, because nothing is free and American Idol isn’t paying for it, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce has set up a fund to get things going.
If you want to be a part of it, and we really hope you do, checks should be made Payable to the Candice Glover Community Celebration Fund and dropped off at any First Citizens Bank, the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce on the Corner of Craven and Carteret Streets, or any of the three local Hobbit Hill Preschools.
If you have a paypal account, go to paypal.com. Choose send money, enter hobbithill@embarqmail.com for to, and then the amount. Select sending funds to family or friends.
The next page will confirm your donation the amount and also allow you to send a message with your donation. Simply hit the send money button, and you’ve helped contribute to all of this.
We all should chip in. At least just a little.
For all the latest on Candice Glover’s amazing American Idol experience including videos, interviews, and some LOCAL flavor, visit our Candice page at https://www.eatstayplaybeaufort.com/candice-glover