Fireworks schedule
Where to see fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend:FRIDAY, JULY 1* Eton, Ga. (Pleasant Valley Orchards Flea Market)* Fort Payne, Ala. (Sports Complex)SATURDAY, JULY 2* Blue Ridge, Ga. (Lake Blue Ridge)* Crossville, Ala. (City Park)* Ellijay, Ga. (downtown)* Graysville, Tenn. (Kristopher’s Kingdom ball park)* Lakeview, Ga. (Lake Winnepesaukah)* Tullahoma, Tenn. (Frazier McEwen Park)* Winchester, Tenn. (Tims Ford Lake)SUNDAY, JULY 3* Chattanooga (Coolidge Park)* Collegedale (Veterans Park)* Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. (Barnhardt Circle)* Hixson (Camp Columbus)MONDAY, JULY 4* Athens, Tenn. (Regional Park)* Calhoun, Ga.* Chattanooga (AT&T Field)* Cleveland, Tenn. (Bradley Square Mall)* Crossville, Tenn. (Centennial Park)* Dunlap, Tenn. (downtown)* Etowah, Tenn. (L&N Depot)* Henagar, Ala. (City Park)* Jasper, Tenn. (City Park)* LaFayette, Ga. (Municipal Park)* Lakeview, Ga. (Lake Winnepesaukah)* Monteagle, Tenn. (ball park)* Sewanee, Tenn. (downtown village)* Signal Mountain (Shackleford Ridge Park)* Soddy-Daisy (Soddy Lake)* South Pittsburg, Tenn. (downtown)* Spring City, Tenn. (Veterans Park)* Sweetwater, Tenn. (downtown)
Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
LISA DENTON: Barry, to borrow a phrase from WRCB-TV weather wonk Paul Barys, I'm going to predict some big boomers this weekend. Not thunderstorms. Fireworks shows. And the best part is that there are four days to see them.
BARRY COURTER: I predict a big crowd at your house for the annual boomer show by the lake. From some of your stories, the real show happens with all of your expected and unexpected guests. Which has always struck me as odd, you know, given the fact that you really don't like people. I kid; it actually makes perfect sense.
LISA: You know me so well. No, we have a lot of fun. It's people I know; people I don't know; people I don't know who ask if they can sleep on my porch. Well, that was actually just one person one time. But porches are for dogs and old refrigerators, so I drove him home.
BARRY: So you moved the clothes washer indoors? You're getting high-falootin' on me.
LISA: There's a short list of where to look for fireworks displays online with this column, and on Thursday ChattanoogaNow will have the complete rundown of fireworks and barbecues and car shows.
We'll also have stories on Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder playing with the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra in Collegedale. And the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera's annual Pops on the River concert at Coolidge Park. And Creative Discovery Museum's Mentos and Diet Coke geyser salute - which is awesome, by the way. We'll look all around the region to see when and where to celebrate the red, white and blue.
BARRY: It's not all about Fourth of July celebrations this week, though. Nightfall has Nikki Lane and, since it's the first Friday of the month, there is a Rock the Block event at Bessie Smith Cultural Center from 5 to 7 p.m. They close off M.L. King Boulevard between Miller Plaza and the Bessie and have live entertainment, vending, activities for the kids and things like a car or bike show. This time the folks with River City Corvettes will bring a bunch of their cars. Local R&B singer Jimmy Allgood also will perform. He's been doing showcases in Atlanta and Las Vegas and has a new record coming out in July.
LISA: And the Eli Young Band will be doing a free show at Track 29 on Thursday. That show has been postponed twice - first from Aug. 15, 2015, and then from April 2, 2016 - so the band is doing a freebie to make the wait worthwhile.
BARRY: Ani DiFranco is there on Friday. And the Shawn Adams Memorial Spirit of the Game Ultimate Tournament is this weekend at Camp Jordan. It's the 23rd year, which is very cool that Shawn's friends have kept it going. I say it every year, but he was a really nice guy.
Get event details every Thursday in Chattanooga Now or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.