Pops In The Park With The North Carolina Symphony A Labor Day Tradition For Area Families

Labor Day weekend will once again bring together almost 40,000 people celebrating the sounds of live music and the community's spirit of generosity. WRAL-TV's annual Pops in the Park concert, featuring the North Carolina Symphony, is a free, outdoor event for Eastern North Carolina residents. The concert and fireworks show kick off the Symphony's 2000-2001 season and the Triangle United Way annual giving campaign.

Pops in the Park, one of central North Carolina's favorite musical events, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 6:30 p.m. on the grounds of Meredith College in Raleigh. Gates open at 4 p.m. The rain date is Monday, Sept. 4. This year's concert begins with Tchaikovsky's Coronation March and includes selections from Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. There are also works by Aaron Copland, including Lincoln Portrait that will be narrated by Associate Conductor William Henry Curry. The evening will conclude with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever, complete with the traditional fireworks.

Gerhardt Zimmermann NC Symphony Music Director

William Henry Curry Associate Conductor

North Carolina Symphony Music Director Gerhardt Zimmermann and Associate Conductor William Henry Curry will share the podium for the evening. An hour of the concert will be broadcast by WRAL-TV on Monday, September 4, at 7 p.m., sponsored by IBM and Glaxo Wellcome. WUNC-TV will rebroadcast the concert Sunday, September 10, 7pm.

Always a popular family event, Pops in the Park draws families to the Meredith College amphitheater from 4 p.m. through the conclusion of the concert. A variety of activities are available for children, including soccer contests for prizes, pony rides, coloring books, free balloons, and the Ident-a-Kid program will be there staffed by the Fraternal Order of Police.

This annual event marks the beginning of the Triangle United Way annual giving campaign. The official campaign kickoff takes place a few days later, on Sept. 6 at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena.

Pops in the Park is made possible through a variety of sponsorships. This year's event sponsors include Crossroads Ford, Burger King, Verizon, Harris-Teeter, Dodge, Trivergent, Cameron Village, WakeMed, WRAL-FM, Autopark Honda, Independent Auto Owners Insurance, WA Home, Golden Corral, Alcatel, and Hill Ridge Farms. WRAL-TV organizes the event and produces the television program, and a special Capitol Broadcasting Company fund pays for the broadcast fees. The North Carolina Symphony donates its services to the people of the Triangle, and Meredith College provides the site.

Concertgoers are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs.

Pops in the Park takes place on the grounds of Meredith College near the lake, at the corner of Hillsborough and Faircloth Streets. The outdoor concert is free to the public. Pets are not allowed. Food and beverages will be available on site. The North Carolina Symphony's 2000-2001 concert season in Raleigh continues on