CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte’s Emily Maynard took “The Bachelorette” to new heights Tuesday night, scaling the side of the Mint Museum Uptown on a date with a suitor before enjoying a private concert from a country music star.
The ABC reality TV show has been filming across the Queen City as Maynard, a 26-year-old single mom, looks for love among a batch of men vying for her affection.
Maynard and her date, an unidentified tall man with dark hair, arrived around 9 p.m. at the museum on South Tryon Street. They held hands and chatted as they strolled toward the museum – with cameras closely following. Click here for photos from the Charlotte Observer
Police blocked Levine Avenue of the Arts as crews filmed the date, which attracted the attention of passersby and those dining at chef Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant E2, located next door.
Maynard – wearing a white tank top, black leggings and brown boots – and her date were strapped into harnesses and given helmets with small cameras attached.
Maynard could be heard saying that she was “so excited” before they began their ascent.
About halfway up the five-story building, the pair gave each other a high five. Her date waved to those below, prompting cheers.
“Give him a rose,” said one, referring to the show’s rose ceremony where contestants learn whether they’ll continue on the dating show.
It took them about 10 minutes to reach the top. Onlookers clapped as they climbed over the roof’s edge.
Once the pair reached the top, they enjoyed a private rooftop dinner catered by new uptown restaurant E2 owned by renowned chef Emeril Lagasse.
After dinner, the two enjoyed a private concert at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets courtesy of country music star Luke Bryan. Click here to watch the pair dancing in uptown Charlotte
One witness to the concert said Maynard and her date arrived for the concert around 12:15 a.m. after a slight rain delay and several sound checks by Bryan.
“They dropped them off at the intersection of 3rd and Tryon,” said Ileana Kistler, who found out about the event through Twitter.
Kistler said Bryan played two songs repeatedly for the next hour so production crews could get the right shots of the couple dancing. Bryan rotated between two hits "Drunk on You" and "Do I," Kistler said.
Maynard won “The Bachelor” last year when Brad Womack proposed to her, but the couple split in June. In January, she was named the new “Bachelorette.”
The show is filming the forthcoming season in a six-bedroom, 8.5-bath European-style mansion in Charlotte rather than its usual California location because Maynard didn’t want to uproot her 6-year-old daughter for the filming, according to reports.
After the filming wrapped up around 1:30 early Wednesday morning, the crowd of about 100 dispersed for the night, but production assistants said post-date filming would continue until about 6 a.m.
“It was neat because you had a lot of college kids, a lot of professionals that had heard all the commotion. It was really loud,” Kistler added. “It was just a really good variety of people (at the concert).”
Last week, Maynard and a date had dinner at the new Osso Restaurant & Lounge and then watched a concert by country-music band Gloriana at the N.C. Music Factory. Click here for photos at Emily and her date arrive at Osso
Maynard was once engaged to NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, the son of businessman and team owner Rick Hendrick who died in a 2004 plane crash while she was pregnant with their child. “The Bachelorette” will premiere on May 14.
