# ??? about the Charlotte Criterium race in Aug...



## pbird74 (Apr 4, 2007)

Anyone ever been? I'm going for the first time with my family, and I want to go prepared. Are there food vendors? What time should we get down there? Any really good places to stand to watch in particular? 
Thanks!!


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## flyingheel (Aug 30, 2008)

I would try and get there by 4PM. I think the womens race starts at 5 or 5:30. Many of the roads that intersect the course will be shut down by 2:30 or so but the city stays fairly navigable until the course opens for warmups around 4. There is an expo area that had some food vendors and there are quite a few restaurants and pubs on the course itself. There were also some street vendors there as I remember it (pretzels, hotdogs, etc). The best place to watch the race is along Tryon Street since you will see the riders twice per lap (dumbbell shaped course) and the start finish line is literally right in the middle of the straight. The downside is that nearly all the other spectators will be on this 3 or 4 city block section (nearly 40,000 people). We have walked the course during the race and had plenty of time to get back near the finish with 15 laps or so to go to find decent view of the finish line. The ends of the course (small one block loops and either end of the Tryon straightway) are usually not so crowded and you easily can find places to watch right on the crowd barriers.

http://www.charlottecriterium.org/raceinfo.htm


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## pbird74 (Apr 4, 2007)

*Thanks for the info!!*

I really appreciate it!


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## medicalman (Aug 7, 2008)

hopefully the vendor area will be a little better this year. I tend to like to get on the backside of the course where the are not many people. always a great time and plenty to see and do


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