With relaxing tunes, good food and fun and games, people from all over enjoyed four days of the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival without any major incidents.

Gary Leonhardt, the director of Morganton Parks and Recreation and event coordinator, said despite the record crowds the festival ran smoothly all week. Leonhardt projected the crowds were 25 percent larger each day than last year and he expected there was 11,000 revelers on Friday night.

A parking plan was implemented this year to ease the problems with traffic from previous years, Leonhardt said.

Maj. Billy Bradshaw of Morganton Public Safety said although the crowds were larger, officers did not have any problems maintaining the safety of festival attendees.

Bradshaw said, "You have a good, calm crowd, and they come to listen to the music."

The director said he has received several compliments from residents of Morganton and out-of-towners on their festival experience.

Leonhardt said the only problem he has faced this weekend was, "figuring out where to put a crowd," a minimal problem considering the various problems that could have surfaced.

Despite the lessons learned at the Catawba River Soccer Complex, Leonhardt said organizers would have to learn how to handle a new venue next year, Catawba Meadows Park.

Leonhardt said the park would serve as a permanent place for the festival with better parking options and an adequate supply of water and power for vendors.

Watermelon juice dribbled down chins, frogs hopped through crowds and bodies were covered in dirt as children and adults took part of the Fourth of July contests at the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival.

Butch McSwain, the assistant director of Morganton Parks and Recreation, emceed the watermelon eating and frog-leaping contests. McSwain said all the events were fun, and he was glad to add to everyone's Fourth of July.

Children and adults gathered behind the Collett Street Recreation Center to see who could gobble down the most watermelon slices in three minutes.

Separated into two age groups, the first place prize was $25 in cash. Ben Bingham, 12, of Jamestown, proved victorious over the other children after consuming four large slices of watermelon.

Bingham said his cousin convinced him to enter the contest just mere moments before it began. The winner even claimed he had just eaten a large meal before participating in the competition.

Bingham said he isn't sure what he's going to do with the prize money, but it will most likely go toward his bicycle.

Caitlin Anderson, 19, of Morganton and her frog, Amberjack, proved victorious in the frog-leaping contest. Jumping an impressive 99 inches, Anderson and Amberjack took home the $250 grand prize.

Anderson said she got Amberjack from a "secret" pond on Thursday night and told him to, "stay still" before the contest.

Each frog was allowed three leaps from the center of a wooden platform, and quite a few decided to take a few extra hops through the crowd as energetic children chased after them.

As the day continued, the prize money atop of two greased poles waved in the air beckoning adventurous children and a few adults to climb the wooden staffs.

Abraham Carswell, 9, of Taylorsville, was less than a foot away from grabbing the $5 bill attached to the shorter pole. Carswell, who rubbed dirt across his bare chest to gain an advantage, said he was determined to grab the prize money this year.

After attempting several times the previous year, Carswell was confident he could reach the prize this year. The crowd was confident too, as they cheered him on during each attempt.

The third stop of five on Independence Day, N.C. 10th congressional district candidate Daniel Johnson mingled with the crowd at the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival at the Collett Street Recreation Center.

Johnson said the festival served several purposes: It gave him the opportunity to celebrate the history of America, to listen to bluegrass and to meet, hear and answer the concerns of Morganton residents.

A native of Hickory, Johnson said he is spending the time leading up to the election traveling across the district. The candidate said he plans to make more visits to Burke County before the election.

Johnson said voters have listed the economy and healthcare as their major concerns in the upcoming election.

Emma Smith, 62, of Morganton, said she wishes Johnson the best during the election. Smith spoke to Johnson about the buzzword this election season: "change."

Smith, who was unaware of Johnson's scheduled appearance, said she just ran into him and enjoyed voicing her thoughts with him.