CHARLOTTE
– The arrival of the holiday season means more traffic
for the Gaston County community of McAdenville, also known as Christmas Town,
USA.
As thousands of visitors are expected to drive through the area, the N.C.
Department of Transportation is working to ensure traffic flows smoothly, both
for motorists heading to McAdenville and for drivers passing through to other
destinations.
The town will officially kick off its 63rd year of this popular free attraction
at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, continuing through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Visitors
can enjoy the festive light displays Monday through Friday from 5:30 – 9:30
p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 – 11 p.m.
Steve Rankin with the Christmas Town Committee says visitors will have a
special experience. “McAdenville is so unique versus other Christmas displays”,
says Rankin.
“McAdenville is a real town with real people, decorating real
homes…it’s all free. Even the parking is free.”
Due to the large number of vehicles expected in the area, motorists
should expect delays and slow down during the holiday season. One option for
visitors is to arrive early, between 5 – 5:15 p.m., find a parking spot and
wait for the lights to come on at 5:30 p.m.
NCDOT will place message boards on I-85 to inform motorists of the
following:
Drivers coming
from Charlotte should use U.S. 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) into McAdenville;
an alternate route is from I-85 South to Exit 27 ( N.C. 273) to U.S. 74;
Motorists
driving north on I-85 should use Exit 22 (Lowell) into McAdenville; and
The ramp from
I-85 North to Exit 23 (N.C. 7) will be closed nightly during events.
Walking through McAdenville offers another way to see the lights while
hearing the church chimes ringing in the background. Pedestrians are asked to
remain on the sidewalks and not enter homeowners’ private property.
To find out more about Christmas Town USA, visit the event website.
Visit
DriveNC.gov or follow
NCDOT on Twitter for real-time traffic information.