July 4th: Let Freedom Sing! concert and fireworks

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  • Fireworks

July 4th in Nashville

Let Freedom Ring Celebration

Let Freedom Sing! is one of our biggest parties of the year. Come celebrate July 4th with lots of live music, including headliner Dierks Bentley, activities for all ages, a drone show, and a gasp-inspiring fireworks display.

Amazon Family Fun Zone

Located between the Downtown Hilton and the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Amazon Family Fun Zone offers a ton of activities for your little people and live music for all. It opens at noon (Update: previous press info incorrectly stated 11am).

Hungry? Right next door next to Bridgestone Arena, look for a food truck zone.

Live music

In addition to the stage at the Amazon Family Fun Zone, live music will be nonstop at all the honky tonks and music venues in the Lower Broadway area. Here’s a rundown of our featured performers on the two main stages:

BROADWAY STAGE

In addition to Dierks Bentley, the line-up includes Russell Dickerson, Niko Moon, Grace Bowers, and Keesha Rainey.

ASCEND AMPHITHEATRE

Nashville Symphony with fireworks synchronized to the music.

TIP: WTVF-TV is livecasting the symphony performance so you could stream it to get the soundtrack to accompany the fireworks: newschannel5.com.

Performing

  • DIERKS BENTLEY

  • RUSSELL DICKERSON

  • NIKO MOON

  • GRACE BOWERS & THE HODGE PODGE

  • KEESHA RAINEY

  • WALKER MONTGOMERY

  • THE NASHVILLE SOUL EXPERIENCE

  • CHARLIE WORSHAM

  • KIRWIN THE BAND

  • LES KERR AND THE BAYOU BAND

  • NASHVILLE SYMPHONY

Fire up your day early…

Hot Chicken Festival

Held annually in East Park, 11 am-3pm, it’s your chance to sample some of our hottest commodities from nine purveyors of pyrotechnic poultry. Festivities kick off with a fire truck parade at 10:30am followed by kids’ activities, a beer garden, and an amateur chef competition.

Hot chicken

What’s more American than baseball?

Nashville Sounds vs. Memphis Redbirds

To get you in a red, white, and blue mood, take in a Sounds game on July 1st or 2nd at 6:30 pm or the 3rd at 6:00 pm. Good food and great fun next door to the Bicentennial Mall State Park.

Nashville Sounds stadium

A few tips

  • If driving, take note of where you parked. Maybe even take a photo or ping the GPS location.
  • Looking for downtown parking? Consult this guide.
  • Stay hydrated. Drink more water than you think you need.
  • Bottled water will be available at event stands for $1 until 4pm.
  • Three water stations will be onsite for free refills.
  • Beer is not a substitute for water–no matter what country songs say.
  • Determine a rendezvous point in case you get separated from others in your party.
  • Don’t take anything you don’t think you’ll need.

Where to watch the fireworks for free

Thousands will gather along Broadway and 1st Avenue–but other primo locations include Ascend Amphitheatre, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Metro Courthouse lawn, Woodland Street Bridge, and Rutledge Hill. If you opt for the downtown area, make life less of a hassle by reading through these lists;

You can bring:

  • Collapsible chairs (except at Ascend Amphitheatre)
  • Umbrellas up to 36″ in diameter
  • Blankets and tarps up to 6’x8′
  • Bags up 16″x10″x4″
  • Personal cameras

Don’t bring:

  • Backpacks or luggage
  • Coolers
  • Wagons or pull-carts
  • Outside alcoholic beverages
  • Weapons of any kind
  • Aerosol cans of any kind
  • Sealed containers
  • Fireworks
  • Laser pointers
  • Pets (except service animals)
  • Audio recorders or video camera
  • Camera stands, tripods, selfie sticks, etc.
  • Signs, flags on sticks or poles
  • Collapsible chairs (applies only to Ascend Amphitheater)

REMINDER: live streaming or recording of concerts with phones is illegal.

East Nashville Option

You don’t have to be downtown to have a great view of the fireworks. Because there’s less development on the East Bank, the panoramic view from a distance is wider, so you have more options. My friend Melinda took this shot from East Nashville a few years ago. Aside from not hearing the live music, the experience is pretty amazing. Because there will be slightly less traffic congestion, travel will likely be a little easier.

Let Freedom Sing fireworks over Nashville

Rooftop viewing parties

Every downtown hotel, honky tonk, and restaurant with a public rooftop is offering something special–at a price. Admission ranges from $15 which simply gives you rooftop access to full-on catered celebrations and excellent sight lines for up to $300 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lockers are available for $10/item at three locations: 1st Ave. N. near Union Street, near the entrance to the Pedestrian Bridge and on Broadway at 6th Avenue, S.

  • Riverfront Park
  • The Green at Riverfront Park
  • Public Square Park
  • Music City Walk of Fame Park
  • Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge
  • Gay Street Connector
  • Nissan Stadium Lots A-D

Two sources of information: the tourist commission’s link and my link at the end of this post.

Depends entirely on what you want to see and do. I would recommend arriving at least an hour before a performance and as much as two hours before the fireworks to find a good viewing area.

Downtown essentials

When you need more than a Honky Tonk

Closest Grocery/Convenience Stores
  • Corner Market at 300 Church St. crams a ton of merchandise in a slender space. If you need a cup of non-designer coffee, a toothbrush, Red Bull or Pepto-Bismol, these folks can hook you up. Note: they’re open later than the others. Hours: Sun-Thurs, 7am-9pm; Fr-Sat, 7am-midnight.
  • M&M Market at 203 2nd Ave., N. is tiny but if you only need snacks, beverages, or Pepto-Bismol, this may be your salvation. Note it’s extended weekend hours. Hours: Sun-Wed., 7am-11pm; Thurs, 7am-midnight; Fri-Sat., 7am-3am.
  • Southernaire is in SoBro, south of Broadway at 150 3rd Ave, S.. You won’t find Cheerios or Gatorade here; it’s an upscale market with artisanal products, locally grown produce, a selection of bottled craft beers, a butcher’s counter and a prepared food spot for paninis and daily specials.
  • Dollar General Store (DGX), 206 3rd Avenue, S. This location caters to the tourist population with items you won’t find in the typical Dollar General. Basically an urban convenience store.
  • Turnip Truck, located in The Gulch at 321 12th Ave. S., advertises itself as “your natural grocery.” Translation: fresh, locally sourced, whole foods along with a juice bar, salad bar and hot food bar. Hours: M-Sat 7:00am-9pm, Sun 8am-8pm.
  • Whole Foods at 1202 Broadway includes a hot bar, in-house bakery and a dining area. Open 7am-10pm daily.
  • Publix-Capitol View is a smaller-than-average store but still has a butcher shop, bakery and deli. Open 7am-10pm daily.
  • Nashville Fresh Market at 531 4th Ave. Sl crams a lot into its store include beverages, fruit, snacks, over-the-counter meds, and to-go meals.
Closest Medical Attention

For after-hours care, the closest ER facilities are St. Thomas Midtown and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Another option is GetWell Health, a mobile medical practice that comes to you for basic care, IV infusions, and such.

Read what downtown police officers recommend to stay safe and be smart downtown.