CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Countless people in the Queen City are counting down to 2020, and New Year's Celebrations are kicking off all around the Charlotte area.
Much of the WCNC team is spending New Year's Eve at Carowinds WinterFest, but plenty of people are flocking to uptown to watch the crown light up, and still more are planning to curl up on the couch and watch the ball drop in New York City on TV.
In uptown Charlotte, people made their way to Levine and Tryon ahead of the annual lighting of the Queen City Crown.
There are road closures in the uptown area ahead of festivities, so those looking to celebrate were encouraged to plan for alternate routes and parking solutions.
Those looking for family fun this New Year's Eve may also have headed to Carowinds WinterFest. At midnight, Carowinds planned a fireworks show to celebrate the start of 2020.
At 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve, those at the park were able to catch a parade complete with eight floats containing over 40,000 lights, and over 100 performers.
Editors Note: Due to some technical difficulties, the display of Carowinds is missing for a few minutes in the middle of the following video, which originally aired live.
In South Carolina, fireworks stands have been busy stocking up and selling 'end of the year' favorites. With celebratory fireworks comes loud noises that can be easily mistaken for gunshots, so law enforcement encourage people to be certain of what they hear before they call the police.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released a video explaining what people need to know when it comes to fireworks safety -- including a reminder that in North Carolina, fireworks that explode or project into the air are illegal.
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