Figuring out Fourth of July plans during COVID-19? Here are some events around Middle Tennessee – Tennessean

Figuring out Fourth of July plans during COVID-19? Here are some events around Middle Tennessee  Tennessean

The Fourth of July typically marks summer staples — cookouts, fireworks and parades, to name a few — and although some traditions have canceled or made changes as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, there are still ways for Middle Tennesseans to mark the holiday.

COVID-19 cases reached 42,297 statewide, including 41,949 confirmed and 348 probable cases, on Monday, the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Health show.

That includes 592 confirmed and probable deaths. There are 2,599 hospitalizations, more than 776,000 tests and 26,962 recoveries, according to the Department of Health.

The novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020 has prompted many changes, including to summer gatherings.

Organizers of the annual Pegram Independence Day celebration, for example, announced May 31 the four-decades long tradition will be postponed “to protect our community…It saddens us to miss the annual event.”

Instead, organizers are planning a Labor Day celebration with food trucks, music and fireworks.

Likewise, the annual Americana Celebration in White House is canceled.

“Due to public safety concerns for large gatherings resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Americana Celebration and Brandon Webster Fireworks Show,” the statement from event organizers read. “We are saddened by this decision but believe an abundance of caution is necessary at this time, and our hope is to have the biggest and best Americana Celebration and Brandon Webster Fireworks Show yet in 2021.”

Other traditional events have made changes such as limiting capacity or only holding fireworks shows without any accompanying festivities.

More: What you need to know about fireworks in Middle Tennessee this year

Here are some events to celebrate the Fourth of July around Middle Tennessee:

Anywhere

Stars & Strides Virtual 5K

When: Between July 1 and July 5

Where: Anywhere

Details: Franklin-based Health Coach Elena McGowan is hosting a virtual 5K, benefiting The Dog Alliance Hounds for Heroes Service Dogs for Veterans.

“Their focus is on healing veterans and their families through programs that incorporate the powerful human-canine bond,” according to the Facebook event, which notes that 10% of the proceeds will go to the nonprofit organization.

Although McGowan is local to Franklin, anyone can participate in the virtual event.

She added in a message to the Tennessean, “the main point of this race is to encourage people to stay active and healthy and have fun while doing it! There are normally a ton of different 4th of July races and festivities that are all canceled now so I wanted to give people something to look forward to. … Time to celebrate America in style while helping not only yourself, but others as well!”

Participants can run or walk a 5K and upload results to a leader board, earning a pair of Goodr sunglasses — rather than a T-shirt or medal — redeemable with a voucher during registration that will be sent after the race week.

Registration is $20, or $45 with the Goodr voucher.

For more info: Register for the Stars & Strides Virtual 5K online at letsdothis.com. For more information, find the Stars & Strides Virtual 5k event on Facebook.

Cheatham County

Stars, Stripes & Smiles at the Barn

When: July 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Pegram, Tennessee

Details: Stars, Stripes & Smiles at the Barn, hosted by The Trinity Group, invites Pegram and Cheatham County families to celebrate the holiday at the free event, which will offer food trucks, vendors, music, a bounce house, a vintage fire truck and more.

Organizers with the construction company hosting the event note that vendors and food trucks will accept cash, and advise attendees to follow signs on Riverview Road that will lead to the barn. Guests can bring lawn chairs and “enjoy the fellowship with your Pegram neighbors.”

For more info: Find the Stars, Stripes & Smiles at the Barn event on Facebook.

Robertson County

Greenbrier TN Annual July 3rd Event

When: July 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: Greenbrier, Tennessee

Details: Greenbrier’s “Turning of the Pig” is returning on its annual July 3 event, offering Robertson County residents a chance to bring lawn chairs and enjoy live music, with a packed lineup of the Lights Chapel Boys, The Higher Calling and many more.

Ricky Suter, who scheduled artists for the event, said it would be a “big, big night for folks to come out.”

The tradition that started in 1978 and that has routinely drawn a crowd is prepared for another turnout of a “whole bunch of people,” Suter said, noting that there are no changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re looking forward to a big, big time this year,” Suter said.

For more info: Find the Greenbrier TN Annual July 3rd Event on Facebook.

20th Annual Independence 5K

When: July 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: White House High School at 508 Tyree Springs Road

Details: The city of White House Parks and Recreation department is hosting the run, which starts at White House High School and finishing at the high school trailhead. Participants will travel down the greenway, passing the Veterans Memorial Trailhead, and double back, according to the Facebook event.

Awards will be given to overall male and female racers, masters male and female age 40 and above, and to five-year increments from age 11 to 75, with a 101 Division, it states.

For more info: Register online at whparks.recdesk.com. Find the 20th Independence 5K event on Facebook.

Fourth of July Fireworks

When: July 4 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: City of Springfield

Details: The city of Springfield will host its annual fireworks show, beginning at dark on July 4. This year, however, J. Travis Price Park will close to the public “to ensure the safety of citizens due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to organizers. “Participants are encouraged to view the show for their preferred location around the city.”

Fore more info: Find the Fourth of July Fireworks event on Facebook.

Sumner County

4th of July Celebration

When: July 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Where: Bottom View Farms at 185 Wilkerson Ln in Portland

Details: Top of the Ridge Restaurant, a two-decade old business that started as a mother-daughter delivery service, will host a Fourth of July celebration a day early for those eager to mark the occasion. Located at Bottom View Farm in Portland, the festivities will include food, vendors, a bounce house and — weather permitting — firework, organizers said.

For more info: Call (615)556-4586 or (615)598-1763. Top of the Ridge Restaurant can be reached at (615)745-4288. Find the 4th of July Celebration event on Facebook.

Stars, Stripes and Guitars 2020

When: July 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Where: 120 E. Main St. in Hendersonville

Details: The Hendersonville Parks and Recreation Department is hosting the annual July 3 event, laying out details to know before attending this year’s limited-capacity event because of COVID-19 restrictions.

General admission tickets are free, but VIP tickets cost $75. Attendees must have a ticket to enter, according to the event information. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and music will start at 6 p.m. The “All-Star Guitar Pull,” with a soon-to-be-announced lineup, will start at 7:30 p.m.

Temperature checks will be done at the gate with security checks, according to a Hendersonville Parks and Recreation department news release announcing the event.

More: What to know before you go to Hendersonville’s annual July 3 event

“The Hendersonville Parks and Recreation Department invites you to a night of celebration, fellowship, and live music,” the department promised, complete with 615 Eats — the area where local food trucks will park — fireworks at 9 p.m. and more.

For more info: Find tickets on Eventbrite.com. Find the Stripes, Stars and Guitars 2020 event and @HvilleParks on Facebook.

July 4 Fireworks Display

When: July 4 from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Where: Triple Creek Park, at Hwy 31 E in Gallatin

Details: Gallatin officials opted not to hold an accompanying festival or host vendors at the annual Fourth of July celebration, but will still have a fireworks display. Locals can gather or park in Triple Creek Park, though officials note attendees will be responsible for adhering to the “encouraged” social distancing recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More: Gallatin City Council opts to move forward with fireworks tradition, no festival amid COVID-19 pandemic

“I think they’re [fireworks] a great thing for the city,” Councilman John Alexander said in a June work session when the council opted to hold the display without a festival. “I would love to see us continue with the fireworks.”

For more info: Find the July 4 Fireworks Display event on Facebook.

Kelly Fisher can be reached at KPFisher@gannett.com, 615-801-3866 or on Twitter at @KellyPFisher.

Published 3:07 PM EDT Jun 29, 2020