Downtown 4th of July celebrations plan to involve families of all ages

The longest fireworks display in the city’s history will be the climax of a day of family friendly fun on the Nashville riverfront on July 4. The “Let Freedom Sing” celebration will begin at noon and culminate with the 9:45 p.m. fireworks spectacular that annually is rated one of the best in the country. The kids will be the focus of the first part of the day’s schedule. The McDonald’s free Family Fun Zone – on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza – will be open from noon until 5 p.m. and will offer inflatables, games and a variety of food. And, since this is Nashville, there will be live music from 1-4 p.m., featuring Jason Eskridge and The Farewell Drifters. Beginning at 1:50 p.m. Dippin’ Dots also plans to try and break the Guinness World Record for most ice cream cups prepared by a team of five in a span of three minutes. Record or not, the ice cream will be given out free of charge to spectators. In the early evening, the action goes down to the river, where Billy Currington will be headlining the Jack Daniels concert this year, along with Ashley Monroe, Striking Matches and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The concert can be found at the main stage at 1st and Broadway and will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. The fireworks show will begin after the concert, with explosions set to ignite at approximately 9:45 p.m. According to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), despite the construction on west Riverfront Park, the area will be open for fireworks viewing. The NCVC has implemented safety rules for...