Organizers for the Democratic National Convention announced on Monday that a kick-off event slated to be held at a Charlotte speedway will instead be moved to a site closer to convention activities, according to officials organizing the event.
The announcement contradicts a report from Bloomberg that organizers were considering canceling the event altogether.
Suzi Emmerling, a spokesperson for the host committee said in an interview Tuesday that the decision to move the event to uptown Charlotte was made because of logistics. “We wanted to have a real connection to the convention,” she said. “All the caucus meetings would be uptown and it would be challenging to have the event 20 miles away,” where the speedway is located, she said.
The event will be along the Tryon Street corridor, in uptown Charlotte. Though a specific site along the corridor has not been picked, it will be a street festival with stages and other outdoor activities, according to Emmerling.
Emmerling said that, contrary to the Bloomberg report, canceling the event “was never an option.” She also disputed the fact that organizers were struggling to raise money for the convention saying, “We’re right on track.”
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