A fabulous 4th at Furman
Attendance at this year's event triples

More than 20,000 people attended the 4th at Furman festival this year, making it one of the largest July 4 celebrations in the Upstate. Last year, 6,500 attended the celebration at the university.

Good weather, more publicity and the success of the 2001 event helped attendance skyrocket, says Gayle Warth, events coordinator. "Even though last year's event was shortened by the weather, people liked what they saw," she says. "The fireworks, music and cannons booming over the lake really create a unique and entertaining show."

Anticipating a larger crowd, Furman added more events staff, concession stands, port-a-johns and children's games this year.

But even with those improvements, Warth said bathroom and concession lines were long.

"Next year we plan to add more concession stands and port-a-johns," says Warth. "We will also need some directional signage for our Spanish-speaking community."

The event began at 4 p.m., with many arriving early to secure a good spot along the lake. The celebration ended at 9:45, after the fireworks show. Long exit lines, a staple of the event in the past, were shortened this year. Events staff directed some traffic to White Horse Road and Travelers Rest, which eased traffic on Poinsett Highway. Road improvements at the Cherrydale Point intersection also improved traffic flow.

"Despite the increase in attendance, we were able to move people out extremely well," says Warth. Since the first July 4 festival was held at Furman in 1994, the event has grown into the university's largest celebration.

From 1994-2000, activities were held at Paladin Stadium. Last year, the festivities were moved lakeside with the Lakeside Concert Band providing entertainment.

The Cliffs Communities, Rockwell Automation, Michelin, Bi-Lo, Pepsi, WYFF-TV and The Greenville News sponsored this year's event. The BellSouth Red, White and Blue festival, held in downtown Greenville, and the Fourth at Furman attracted a combined 40,000 people and were the Upstate's two largest July 4 events.