posted by Judy Burrell - Raleigh's new Convention Center was unveiled last weekend at the Raleigh Wide Open Festival.  Although Friday night and Saturday morning was very rainy and windy with the effects of Tropical Storm Hanna coming through, Saturday afternoon was sunny and nice.  Lots of people enjoyed the festivities on Fayetteville Street and the unveiling of the new Convention Center.  On the Convention Center floor they had lots of booths specializing in Internation food.  You could get a crepe from France and talk to a scotsman in a full kilt from Scotland.  Both inside the Convention Center and outside along Fayetteville Street, there was lots of music to be heard and enjoyed.  The legendary Chuck Berry even performed to open the festivities Friday night.

The new Convention Center will be great for Raleigh.  It is much larger and more up to date than the old one.  There have already been 17 conventions booked for this fall in the new center.  This is well ahead of the predictions, so it is getting a better response than expected.  With the new Marriott hotel next door, the convention center will be a boon to Raleigh and the restaurants and other hotels around downtown.   This will also have a positive effect on the new developments adding lots of downtown condominiums to the Raleigh real estate market.