Democrats are getting ready for their week in the spotlight. The speeches haven't started officially, but at a press conference Monday morning convention organizers got a head start on touting their candidate. President Obama's campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt began with a putdown of the Republican National Convention.
"Last week, Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan had the opportunity to lay out a vision of how we provide good paying sustainable jobs for the middle class and restore economic security, and they failed," LaBolt says.
Fewer than three percent of North Carolina workers belong to a union - the lowest rate in the nation. But a hearty contingent of about 300 came out for the annual Labor Day parade in Charlotte. Many of them also spent the holiday afternoon at an organizing meeting for low-wage workers.
Because of DNC security restrictions, some of the biggest crowd pleasers of the annual Charlotte Labor Day Parade didn't get to participate yesterday.
No car clubs, bike groups, pedicabs . . . "not even Razzles the Clown," said parade organizer Ben Lee.
A newly installed pocket park for DNC visitors in front of the Carolina Theater on Tyron Street. The theater has been the subject of numerous deferred rennovation attempts.
Credit Roger Sarow
CarolinaFest vendors display logo items to tempt DNC delegates and other visitors.
Credit Roger Sarow
Vendors, DNC volunteers and local visitors walk through displays at CarolinaFest as it opened around 10 AM Monday.
Credit Roger Sarow
Wells Fargo facilities along the CarolinaFest route prepare for private guests on Monday.
Credit Roger Sarow
Charlotte street vendors who identify themselves as Danny and Colleen sell logo pins to DNC faithful at CarolinaFest on Monday.
Credit Roger Sarow
Early CarolinaFest visitors near the main stage at Trade and Tryon Streets late on Monday morning.
Credit Roger Sarow
Jeff Bridges runs a sound check with his band, the Abiders, Monday morning as he prepares for CarolinaFest at Trade and Tryon Streets.
Credit Roger Sarow
Jeff Bridges
Credit Roger Sarow
Actor and singer Jeff Bridges appears on a jumbo screen at CarolinaFest Monday as he checks his sound gear.
WFAE's Roger Sarow took a stroll around Uptown Charlotte Monday morning to see how the city is preparing for CarolinaFest and the DNC. These are a few of the sites he saw.
Cheer Extreme performing for the delegation welcome events at at the Mint Museum. Over 80 musicians and dancers performed Sunday night.
Credit Tasnim Shamma
Uncle Sam (Gan Golan) and (Erich Origen) Vulture Capitalism promoting their new book, a parady of a children's book, in front of the Mint. Their previous book was called Goodnight Bush, The Adventures of Unemployed Man.
Credit Tasnim Shamma
The Governor of Delaware Jack Markell thanked Mayor Anthony Foxx for hosting the convention in Charlotte and the grand welcome.
Credit Tasnim Shamma
Cathina Hourani is a Cherokee delegate from Liberty Township, Ohio. She was really excited about the Native-American caucus.
Credit Tasnim Shamma
Johnny Givand is a delegate from Mansfield, Ohio.
Credit Tasnim Shamma
Nicole Betourney, a pastry chef and delegate from Palos Heights, Illinois.
The Democratic National Convention officially kicked off Sunday night with welcoming events for delegates. States were grouped together and the 6,000 delegates were scattered in twelve different venues across the city. DNC organizers say spreading out the delegates would allow delegates to expand business opportunities across the city. From the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Discovery Place, delegates got to experience a little bit of Charlotte while meeting other delegates.
Listen to James Taylor perform "You've Got A Friend" at his sound check for Carolina Fest.
North Carolina native James Taylor was in Uptown Charlotte Monday morning prepping for a performance later in the day. He’ll headline CarolinaFest that kicks off official Democratic National Convention festivities. Taylor – who was sporting an Obama t-shirt – was on stage at Trade and Tryon around 8 sound checking “You’ve Got A Friend” to the surprise and delight of local fans. CarolinaFest is free and starts at noon. Other performers include The Blue Dogs, Simplified, and actor Jeff Bridges’ band. James Taylor is scheduled to go on at 5:15 on the Main Stage.
The Democratic National Convention means a lot of speeches. But it also means a lot of partying as lawmakers and delegates celebrate the nomination of their candidate. Reporters will have a busy week covering the hubbub. But this weekend the media got an elaborate party of its own put on by Charlotte's host committee. In an industry that's squeamish about taking gifts, this is one of the exceptions. Here's how WFAE's Lisa Miller and Michael Tomsic navigated the ethics of the evening.
Some 800 protesters marched for more than three hours in scorching heat through Uptown Charlotte Sunday chanting for a variety of social and environmental reforms. It was a smaller turnout than organizers had hoped and easily controlled by hundreds of police officers. There were only two arrests.
The entire day was highly-choreographed by protesters and police.
A protester advertises his hope for financial sustainability in the next administration before the march of about 800 left from Frazier Park on Sunday.
Credit Briana Duggan
Natanya Jackson sits with her son Cornell in Frazier Park before the March on Wall Street South. Natanya's daughter was in the Grier Height Steppers.
Credit Briana Duggan
Police officers with bicycles close off Tryon Street from March on Wall Street South protesters as they follow Stonewall Street.
Credit Briana Duggan
Protesters pause under the Bank of America Building as some told stories of the results of student debt and home foreclosures.
Credit Briana Duggan
Outside the Duke Energy Building, a row of police officers stand watch and one takes a sip of water. Temperatures reached 92 degrees and protesters were lead to a water fountain to fill up their bottles along the route.
The people participating in Sunday's March on Wall Street South represented many views. We have these photos and a video of some of those diverse prostests.
Protesters at the March on Wall Street South created many issue based chants for the DNC. In this video the Grier Heights Community Steppers share some of theirs.
The moment we’ve been waiting for is now. The Democratic National Convention officially kicks off on Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena but events surrounding the convention begin (began) Sunday with protest marches downtown. Labor Day is devoted to CarolinaFest, a big outdoor party to welcome conventioneers, locals and the media to town. We look at what happened over the weekend and what’s ahead for the DNC and us.
