Legends of Beach headline WRAL’s e 29th Annual Pops in the Park on Labor Day weekend. |
WRAL’s 29th Annual Pops in the Park dodged the rain and treated concert-goers to a night of dance music. From the waltz to the can-can, the NC Symphony got toes tapping, and then the Legends of Beach joined them on stage, getting the crowd shagging. The annual event took place on Sunday, August 31, 2008, at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Cary’s Regency Park.
Gates open at 4:30pm and music began at 5pm. WRAL-TV Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner emceed as local students performed excerpts from “One.” The Wake County Schools’ musical will open later in September.
Parents & children alike delight in turning the sidewalk into a work of art. |
A large crowd turns out to enjoy the annual event, despite the threat of rain. |
Then WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Valonda Calloway took the stage at 7pm to introduce the NC Symphony. The orchestra opened their season with Pops, as has become their annual tradition. Heels got kicking as Conductor William Henry Curry led the symphony in a couple of can-can numbers.
After a brief intermission, Legends of Beach joined the group on stage. The five former members of The Embers are part of the band, including Jackie Gore. They played his beloved “I Love Beach Music,” as their finale, while the crowd continued to shag.
Audience members get up to shag during the beach music. |
WRAL-TV’s Valonda Calloway emcees the Symphony & Legends portion of the event. |
The evening ended with a waltz and the traditional 1812 Overture as fireworks filled the night sky. In 2007, the fire marshal put the kibosh on the display due to the drought, but heavy rains earlier in the week, and some that threatened that day, set the stage for an amazing extravaganza of manmade shooting stars.
Conductor William Henry Curry leads the NC Symphony. |
Pops in the Park broadcast on WRAL-TV on Labor Day and will appear on UNC-TV on Thursday, Sept 18th at 10pm. Or watch now on WRAL.com.
Thanks to WRAL.com’s Rob Fisher for these capcom photos.
