Charlotte, NC – Having recently announced the musical acts for CarolinaFest 2012, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee released details of the many exhibits and activities that will be featured in the Legacy Village today. CarolinaFest is a free family-friendly Labor Day celebration that will occur in Uptown Charlotte on Monday, September 3, 2012, and will feature interactive expositions, family oriented-activities, live music, speakers, and history in the making. The event will be held on Tryon Street in the heart of convention facilities and serve as the kick-off to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

The Legacy Village will be located adjacent to the Harvey B. Gantt Center and will highlight community efforts to support Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx’s Legacy Projects. It will be home to exciting and engaging exhibits and provide festivalgoers an opportunity to see firsthand the great work that being done in support of the Mayor’s Legacies. It is our goal is for festivalgoers to be drawn in and entertained by these organizations, learn of their story while engaging in the interactive exhibits, be inspired to take steps to become involved in their communities, and carry these legacies forward.

“We can all be proud of the way that so many people and organizations in this region have pulled together to create real impact in advance of the convention coming to Charlotte,” said Mayor Anthony Foxx. “This Legacy Village is a reminder to us and to our visitors that this is a community that comes together to make things possible – and leaves us all with a feeling of optimism for our future.”

The Legacy Village will provide an opportunity for conventioneers and the people of this region to see firsthand just how much this community works together to solve our greatest challenges. Over 70 individuals, organizations, and public-private partnerships will represent the spirit of the Mayor’s four convention legacy projects. A list of participating organizations and sponsors can be found at www.CarolinaFest2012.com.

Highlights in the Legacy Village include:

• Craftsman House United- Along with Ty Pennington, Rebuilding Together of the Carolinas, Craftsman, NextGen, Heroes at Home, a home will be built and then given to a local veteran in need.

• Everyday Edisons Pitch Booth will allow entrepreneurs to pitch their product ideas in one of the four legacy areas with the hope that one of those ideas will be featured on the show and, that one day, an idea incubated at CarolinaFest will become a product.

• Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Coalition & Street Soccer USA will conduct tournaments on a pop up soccer stadium and will promote their programs that combat homelessness and provide job-training opportunities.

• GenerationNation will give youth a hands-on civics lesson with activities such as ‘What’s Your Civics IQ?’, Kids’ Voting, ‘Build Your Own Campaign!’, and mock television interviews with the assistance of the YMCA.

• Discovery Place will feature their high school Electric Vehicle Conversion Challenge and convert a conventional vehicle into an electric car.

• Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds basketball-playing robot will teach participants about engineering concepts. In addition, a tornado simulator and interactive brainstorming games will encourage festivalgoers to think creatively and invent new products.

• USGBC & Habitat & Goodwill will build a LEED Registered Habitat House during Convention week that will be left as a legacy to a community member after the Convention.

• Girl Scouts, Hornets' Nest Council- Girls Are IT! Mobile technology bus with interactive components that will expose youth to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

• Mayor's Youth Employment Program presented by Bank of America- The World of Work Wheel allows festivalgoers to explore different industries and career opportunities. A “GameTruck” Party will showcase new media, graphic design and computer science technology as potential careers for youth.

• The Smart Energy Now (Envision Charlotte) interactive kiosk will depict real time energy usage in Charlotte and recommend how we, as individuals of a greater community, can live more sustainably.

• Festival Guests can help create Que-Os Recycled Interactive Art Sculpture made out of recycled materials.

• Friendship Trays, Friendship Gardens will exhibit a community garden, display their recently launched Mobile Market, and put on workshops to teach festivalgoers the ABC’s of sustainable gardening.

• The Field to Fork program will teach cooking and eating healthy and allow festivalgoers to create, prep, and sample their own healthy pizzas.

• Fitness and wellness activities for youth with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Girls on the Run, Peace In Peace Out, and The NFLPA Charlotte Former Players.

• Local artists will create works of art on site that will seek participation from festivalgoers. The artists will create their interpretation of what it means for Charlotte to have a diverse, inclusive economy.

Mayor Foxx announced the convention’s legacy programs to help ensure that the convention leaves a positive, lasting impact on the local region. By leaving a legacy, the convention has the potential to be more than an event; it can be a galvanizing moment for citizens to pull together and work to provide a strong future for the community. The four convention legacy programs are; Healthy Children, Healthy Families; Youth Employment and Civic Education; Building a Broader, More Inclusive and Diverse Economy; and Energy, Technology, and Sustainability.

In addition to the Legacy Village, CarolinaFest will feature two stages with live performances and speakers. The Main Stage will be located at the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets in Uptown Charlotte and the “Carolina Stage” will be located at the intersection of Levine Avenue of the Arts and Tryon Street. The Main Stage will feature Jeff Bridges and the Abiders, Janelle Monáe, and James Taylor. The Carolina Stage will feature The Blue Dogs, Chairmen of the Board, Simplified, and West End Mambo.

More information on CarolinaFest 2012 can be found at www.carolinafest2012.com.