Plans Are Being Made For July 4th Celebration

Plans are in the works for Fourth of July festivities in the Twin City and to make the Saturday nearest the holiday reminiscent of the 2006 sesquicentennial celebration.

The recently formed Celebrate Bristol organization has teamed with several civic groups from both Bristol Virginia and Bristol Tennessee to generate plans for a Star-Spangled Saturday, an all-day celebration to be held around Independence Day.

"We’re trying to make it simple and family oriented," Celebrate Bristol Chairman Tim Buchanan said of the scheduled events, which so far includes a parade, picnic and fireworks display.

Organizers are relying on sponsors to help with the celebration. Their hope is to find donors willing to make a multi-year pledge that will insure the annual event continues.

The project has already gathered enough money, including donations of more than $1,500 by city councils of both Bristols, to guarantee that at least this year’s celebration will happen, Buchanan said. The date for Star-Spangled Saturday is July 5.

Buchanan said organizers decided to hold festivities on the Saturday closest to July 4 rather than the day itself, so people wouldn’t have to choose between Bristol’s celebration and firework shows in nearby Kingsport and Jonesborough.

The day’s events will start at 10 a.m. with a parade beginning on Bob Morrison Boulevard and winding through the city. Free food and live music will be available at Cumberland Square Park as part of a community picnic scheduled to start after the parade. The day will end with a fireworks show in the evening at campgrounds adjacent to Bristol Motor Speedway.

A similar fireworks show attracted 10,000 people in 2006 during the city’s sesquicentennial celebration.

For information on Star Spangled Saturday or to become a sponsor, call (276) 669-3885.

BRENT CARNEY is a Media General multimedia intern and can be reached at (276) 645-2568 or