By Jack Beckett
Senior Writer, The Charlotte Mercury
No Major Incidents—Just Minor Crimes
SkyShow 2025, billed as “one of the largest fireworks shows in the Southeast,” drew an estimated 12,000 people to Uptown Charlotte on Thursday night, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The event, held at Truist Field following a July 3 Charlotte Knights game, lit up the skyline—and triggered a predictable round of arrests, street closures, and holiday-themed contraband seizures.
CMPD reported only two arrests, with no public disclosure of the charges. But the department also confiscated “three firearms, approximately 14.4 grams of suspected marijuana, approximately $5,000 in U.S. currency, and drug paraphernalia.”
So: no riots, just your standard illegal fireworks afterparty kit. 🎇
Streets Closed, Homes Visited
South Mint Street and West Fourth Street were among the uptown arteries blocked off for the event. CMPD deployed officers under a “strategic operations plan,” which notably included preemptive visits to the homes of “prior juvenile offenders to discourage criminal behavior,” per the department’s July 4 press release.
It’s unclear how many homes were visited, or what standard was used to determine who got the knock. The proactive measure may have helped keep the evening quiet, though CMPD did not report any data to support that conclusion.
Baseball, Boom, and Bag Checks
The event was timed with a Charlotte Knights game, maximizing foot traffic and fireworks visibility. Attendees at Truist Field enjoyed a full evening of entertainment, assuming they were willing to submit to metal detectors and bag searches.
No injuries or crowd safety issues were reported. Which, for a gathering of 12,000 people under explosives, counts as a win in Charlotte city planning.
Fireworks, Tourism, and Face-Saving Optics
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority promotes SkyShow as a tourism magnet. CMPD, meanwhile, is quick to highlight that the city’s most visible gathering of the summer concluded without “major incidents.”
What that actually means is subject to interpretation: two arrests, three guns, cash, and drugs may not be “major,” but they’re not nothing. Then again, maybe we’re just lucky no one fired anything after the fireworks.
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This Fireworks Recap Was Brought to You by Bagels and Nostalgia
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And by Glory Days Apparel, Charlotte’s premier nostalgia brand. Want to commemorate SkyShow 2025? Don’t wait for the city to issue a commemorative mugshot. Grab a tee from JD Harris and relive your Queen City glory days—minus the drug paraphernalia. Visit them at 2202 Hawkins Street or browse the Secret Menu if you’re feeling rebellious. Tattoo one of their designs on your leg and they’ll reward you with discounts for life. No, seriously.
About the Author
Jack Beckett drinks his coffee black from Einstein Bros. Bagels on South Boulevard and occasionally with a side of irony. He reports on Charlotte’s politics, policy, and public safety for The Charlotte Mercury. You can find him in the press box or muttering into a bagel at 7:45 a.m. Either way, you can always message us on Twix—which, yes, we still call Twitter.
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© 2025 The Charlotte Mercury
This article, “12,000 Watch Fireworks in Uptown Charlotte as CMPD Seizes Guns, Cash, and Weed,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“12,000 Watch Fireworks in Uptown Charlotte as CMPD Seizes Guns, Cash, and Weed”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)
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