The city of Collegedale will celebrate Independence Day on Thursday, July 3, with their annual Freedom Festival and Fireworks event. This family-friendly celebration will begin at 4 p.m. and end with a display of fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m.
This year’s event was organized by Friends of the Festival and will feature live music, a variety of food vendors, pie tasting contest with prizes, and a presentation of the Quilts of Valor to select Collegedale police officers and Tri-Community fire fighters from the stage at The Commons. The events will be held at The Commons, 4950 Swinyar Dr.
Additional food vendors will be at Veterans Memorial Park on Apison Pike along with a surplus of free activities for children including a mega obstacle course, drop slide, two dual line super slides, bounce house, bounce house with a water slide combo, foam pit, three sports inflatables and face painting.
Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, Blood Assurance will be on site to accept donations. Registration to donate blood is highly encouraged. During the month of July, each donor will receive a $20 eGift card.
Live entertainment will kick off at 5 p.m. on the stage at The Commons with “Get Happy Jazz Band”. The pie contest and presentation of the Quilts of Valor will take place at 6 p.m. inside Chestnut Hall. At 6:45 p.m., the “Chattanooga Horn Authority” will take the stage. The area’s local favorite, “East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra,” performs at 8 p.m. to complete an evening of musical performances leading into the fireworks show.
“As Americans, God has blessed us with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," said Morty Lloyd, mayor of Collegedale. "At this year’s Freedom Festival in Collegedale, we’ll be celebrating those freedoms. We invite everyone to join us on Thursday, July 3, for fireworks, food, patriotic music and all things Americana."
Admission to the Freedom Festival is free, however most parking areas will be charging to benefit local youth organizations or to off-set the maintenance cost to allow attendees to park on private property. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and choose a parking area closest to the route they’ll need to leave by.
Lawn chairs, blankets and an appetite for an evening filled with fun for the whole family are all highly encouraged. The Collegedale Police Department will be posting traffic and parking plans for the event on their Facebook page @Collegedale Police Department and other social media sites. For questions or additional event information, go to www.collegedaletn.gov or call (423) 756-2212.