Freedom Hall gearing up for Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The 37th annual Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration returns to Freedom Hall in Johnson City on July 4.

Freedom Hall’s General Manager Mark Stone said stages, tents and more will arrive Monday or Tuesday ahead of the big event.

“Crews will be putting out flyers to the local residents,” Stone said. “We’ll have dumpsters arriving, we’ll have stages arriving. Parks and Rec will start amassing their stuff for the kids’ zone, so tents, all that fun stuff. It’ll all be arriving on Monday and Tuesday.”

A sensory area and cooling/misting stations will be new for this year’s celebration.

“New this year is a sensory area it’s for autistic and PTSD folks,” Stone said. “They always have a hard time with this holiday, with the explosions and that kind of thing. So we’ve not had that request before and so we are honored to do that this year.”

Stone also said the venue will be prepared for all weather conditions.

“Last year we had a lightning strike and a storm that rolled up on us in the middle of the show,” Stone said. “This year we have a better plan going forward. The arena itself is a shelter so you don’t have to run to your car, we will have the arena open for that kind of thing.”

The 37th annual Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration kicks off at 6 p.m. with live music, food trucks, contests, a fireworks show and more.

News Channel 11 will livestream the fireworks on July 4.

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