CHARLOTTE -- Preparations are almost complete for Friday night’s Red, White and Boom Celebration in uptown Charlotte. Gates will open at 6 p.m. with the show beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Technicians have been working since last Saturday on the event, which Center City Partners expect will draw a large crowd. The streets around the venue – Memorial Stadium – will be closed an hour before the show and during the show.

"We don't want anyone hiding out thinking they're going to see anything special,” said Robert Krumbine of Center City Partners. “The reality is the closer you are to the fireworks the harder it is to see a good show. You want to be away enough to have a good angle on them."

The show will be free, but there is no designated parking. CATS shuttles will be running from the transportation center to the stadium.

Meanwhile, the Fourth of July is usually a time when citizens take it upon themselves to enjoy a private firework show. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police want to remind people to call 311 instead of 911 to make complaints about noise from fireworks. They say noise complaints are one of the most common calls on July 4.

Police will still respond to the 311 calls, but wish to keep the 911 lines open in case of emergencies. The department has added extra staff throughout all of the division for the holiday.

As for Fourth of July travel, highway patrol troopers will be on constant patrol this holiday weekend, as it is typically the busiest travel weekend of the year, and the deadliest. Last year five people died and nearly 250 people were hurt in accidents on North Carolina roads.

Officials say they’ll use radar guns and be on the lookout for speeders and aggressive drivers. Troopers will also hold DWI checkpoints around the area following Friday’s shows around the state.

As for airline travel, officials at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport are reminding passengers that they might encounter bigger crowds during the holiday and throughout the summer.