The Carolina Panthers are back in the Upstate.Click here to watch the story.The players arrived Thursday to Wofford College for the NFL team’s 21st consecutive year of summer training in Spartanburg.The Lowe’s Kickoff Party and Mayors Ball Run kicked off Friday night at Gibbs Stadium for the first practice.The free event included performances by TopCats cheerleaders, mascot Sir Purr and the Black & Blue Crew, along with a “Two States-One Team” drumline showcase.Food vendor trucks offered a variety of fare for purchase. Fans could also buy team merchandise and souvenirs.Panthers' practices are a terrific opportunity to get close to the action and see your favorite Panthers players begin the 2015 season, says Riley Fields, Panthers director of community relations. "The Lowe's Kickoff Party is a free, family-style football bash that will have the feel of an excitement-filled, high-energy game-day setting in Wofford's beautiful Gibbs Stadium," Fields said.The camp has worked to enhance the first-class experience fans have enjoyed since 1995. With the help of Lowe's, new fan amenities have been implemented and the grounds beautified to create a pristine environment."We've just finished the second year of renovations at Bank of America Stadium, where we invested a lot on the fan experience. It's a classic American stadium, stadium in a park, and such a pristine setting. Mr. Richardson wanted to bring that same thing to training camp," said Panthers President Danny Morrison.The new amenities include chairs and tables with umbrellas. There are new signs surrounded by flowers and plants, and a lot of landscaping around the fan areas."We wanted a pristine setting, place for the fans to come, see players up close and personal, just have a great ambiance at camp. So we're looking forward to it," Morrison said. "We've had a wonderful partnership with Lowe's. We're so appreciate of them being involved in the training camp. It makes sense. Their motto is 'Never stop in improving.' Well, same motto that we need to have at training camp."All 14 practices scheduled at training camp, which concludes Aug. 20, and additional activities are free and open to the public.One week into the Panthers' stay at Wofford, the team will return to Charlotte for Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 7, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.Following the first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 14, the Panthers will wrap up training camp with joint practices with the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 19 and 20. The two teams will play each other at Bank of America Stadium in Week 2 of the preseason on Aug. 22."It'd be nice to get some folks from Florida up here. They'd stay overnight, spend more money and maybe eat out the restaurants and come to our attractions," said Chris Jennings with the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. "I think folks are going to have a new feel for what, 'Welcome to Spartanburg' means now."The Spartanburg CVB is hoping to attract 60,000 fans to training camp this year, that's a big increase from the 49,029 fans who attended last year. Spartanburg CVB will be giving away Panthers prizes on its social media accounts.Academy Sports + Outdoor again will present Panthers Pals, a special experience especially for children. Panthers Pals offers five lucky children between the ages of 6 and 13 an opportunity to watch part of practice from field level and then spend time with a player afterward. They can register to be a Panthers Pal at the Academy Sports tent at the entrance to the practice fields.For a full practice schedule (subject to change without notice), click here.