CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte celebrated Independence Day 2018 in a big way!

• First time in five years fireworks were held at Memorial Stadium
• Event was also held to help celebrate the city's 250th anniversary 
• RELATED: Check out more Independence Day events around the state

Thousands packed Memorial Stadium for this year’s Star Spangled Banner Spectacular. Fireworks were fired off from the roof of one of the Central Piedmont Community College parking decks.

This is the first time in five years Charlotte’s fireworks show was held at the stadium. BB&T Stadium had been handling fireworks on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The scale of this show was not the only reason this event is called spectacular. The 20-minute long fireworks also served as a kickoff to the city’s 250th anniversary celebration that runs through May 2019.

It’s the reason retiree couple Earl and Carolyn Douglas ignored the heat and took part in an historical moment.

“We thought this was a good occasion to come out and celebrate with other Charlotteans. 250 years is a significant milestone in the life of any city, so we wanted to be supportive,” Carolyn said.

Charlotte Center City partners decided to hold the show on Tuesday, however BB&T Park is still planning fireworks on July 4 following Wednesday night’s Knights baseball game.