Tornado relief fest to replace Raleigh Wide Open
A community group is stepping into the void left by the cancellation of the popular Raleigh Wide Open festival and will throw an event to raise money for victims of the April tornadoes and honor first responders.
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"The reality is that much work remains to be done," Mayor Charles Meeker said in a statement released by ComeUnityNow. "As a community, we need to finish the job to aid in long-term tornado disaster recovery efforts for the hundreds of families, individuals and businesses who were deeply affected by the April 16, 2011, tornadoes."
Organizers said they also want to use the festival to honor first responders and other volunteers who helped during the crisis.
Tickets to the music festival will cost $10, while the arts festival along Fayetteville Street and in City Plaza will be free.
Auditions for bands, solo acts, dancers, entertainers and street performers will be held at Seaboard Station, along Semart Drive, from 5-10 p.m. on July 11.
The ComeUnityNow festival will take place during the same time period and in the same location that the Raleigh Wide Open festival has been held in recent years.
City officials announced in March that Raleigh Wide Open wouldn't be held this year, citing costs and a similar event to celebrate the NHL All Star Game in January.
The city held a concert, Rise Up Raleigh, in the downtown amphitheater on June 3 to raise money for tornado relief.
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