CHARLOTTE -- Authorities say a man attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old girl at a Christmas show in North Carolina.

In a statement released Sunday, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said witnesses interceded Saturday night at the Southern Christmas Show when they noticed a man approach an 11-year-old girl who was walking with her family, and tried to walk off with her. The man released his grip on the child and fled the area.

The man remains at large. 

Police say the man was of Middle Eastern descent. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall weighing 150 to 170 pounds. He was wearing a blue shirt and red beanie and was with a woman who was pushing a stroller.

Police said show producer Marketplace Events employed armed security guards and increased security for the show's final day Sunday.

The girl was not injured.