36th ANNUAL PEPSI INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION & FIREWORKS
Presented by Food City Monday, July 3, 2023
“This annual event has always been Pepsi’s way to say thank you to our community, and our customers. We have so many reasons to celebrate and we anticipate that this year’s event will be even bigger and better than last year.”
The evening’s festivities will kick off at 4 p.m. with food trucks, face painter, and children’s games via Johnson City Parks & Rec. The first musical act of the night, George Birge, will take the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Matt Stehl at 7 p.m., and Thompson Square at 8:15 p.m. As always, fireworks will begin at 9:55 p.m.
This year the beer garden will be located outside of the Auxiliary Gym and Pool Area. Beverages will be sold from 4-9:55 p.m. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited outside of the beer garden area. You must show valid identification to be served. No one under 21 will be allowed inside the beer garden.
This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the grounds of Freedom Hall and enjoy the festivities.
There will not be a rain date for this event. The fireworks time could be delayed if there is inclement weather that evening. Visitors may shelter inside the Freedom Hall arena temporarily in the event of severe weather.
EVENT MAPS
Johnson City Transit bus service will not be available for 2023 event. Additional public parking will be available in Parking Lot B & Lot C. Johnson City Mall parking lots will be available for viewing the fireworks.
VEndor locations:
1. Crafty Dog Co. (hotdogs/corndogs)
2. Max Dogs (Pepsi products)
3. Fork in the road (burgers & sweets)
4. Taco 51 (Tacos)
5. Lakeo steakhouse (japanese cuisine)
6. Kona ice (shaved ice)
7. dip's ice cream (ice cream)
8. project bbq (bbq)
9. ole roan kettle corn (kettle corn)
10. wetzel pretzel (pretzels
11. shane's place (miscellaneous)
12. max dogs (pepsi products)
13. bristol berry bowls (fruit bowls)
14. pastor pig (bbq)
15. little delights (funnel cakes)
16. maggie's designs (face painting)
17. snow cones
18. glow sticks
19. 4thirteen (italian ice)
20. rolling thunder (wreaths across america)
2. Max Dogs (Pepsi products)
3. Fork in the road (burgers & sweets)
4. Taco 51 (Tacos)
5. Lakeo steakhouse (japanese cuisine)
6. Kona ice (shaved ice)
7. dip's ice cream (ice cream)
8. project bbq (bbq)
9. ole roan kettle corn (kettle corn)
10. wetzel pretzel (pretzels
11. shane's place (miscellaneous)
12. max dogs (pepsi products)
13. bristol berry bowls (fruit bowls)
14. pastor pig (bbq)
15. little delights (funnel cakes)
16. maggie's designs (face painting)
17. snow cones
18. glow sticks
19. 4thirteen (italian ice)
20. rolling thunder (wreaths across america)
Schedule:
4:00 p.m. Food Trucks will open, face painting & children’s games via JC Parks & Rec
NOTE: Only Authorized Food/Craft Vendors will be allowed.
Registration Tables will be set up by the Little League Field Gate for parents to register kids to participate in the JC Parks & Rec activities.
5:30- 6:00 p.m. WXBQ DJs
5:00- 7:00 p.m. On-site registration for a chance to win prizes:
- GRAND PRIZE – (1) Year supply of Groceries - $10,000 Value from Pepsi, presented by Food City
- FIRST PRIZE – (1) Year supply of gas - $2,000 Value
- SECOND PRIZE – (1) Year supply of Pepsi - $1,000 Value
6:45- 6:50 p.m. Tribute to Gold Star Families and Disabled Veterans
7:00- 7:45 p.m. Music by Matt Stehl
8:00- 8:10 p.m. Color Guard with National Anthem (Miss Food City) and Pledge of Allegiance (Miss Johnson City)
8:15- 9:15 p.m. Music by Thompson Square
9:20-9:35 p.m. Prize drawings on stage
9:50-9:55 p.m. Welcome by Mayor Todd Fowler
WXBQ musical introduction for fireworks
9:55-10:15 p.m. Fireworks by Pyro Shows of Lafollette, TN
Live remote of event by WJHL-TV News Channel 11 with WXBQ 96.9 FM broadcasting of fireworks music
*Schedule subject to change
- ALL BAGS AND COOLERS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH
- CHARCOAL GRILLS OR ANY OTHER INCENDIARY DEVICES ARE PROHIBITED
- ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE PROHIBITED ON THE GROUNDS - new for 2022 – Beer Garden available in Auxiliary Gym from 5:00 p.m. – 9:55 p.m.
- POP-UP TENTS, STAKED TARPS, AND/OR OTHER TEMPORARY SHELTERS ARE PROHIBITED
- PETS SHOULD REMAIN AT HOME FOR THE SAFETY OF THE ANIMALS AND ATTENDEES
- PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PATRONS
- Handicapped parking passes and instructions may be obtained by calling Freedom Hall no later than Tuesday, June 28th at 461-4884 weekdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
- Portable restroom facilities for the physically challenged will be located on-site
PERSONAL VEHICLES AND PROPERTY
- Patrons driving personal vehicles to Freedom Hall are encouraged to remember to leave all valuables (cellular telephones, laptop computers, money, jewelry, purses, wallets, shopping bags, etc.) at home.
- Any valuables left in personal vehicles should not be left in plain sight and vehicles should remain locked.
TRAFFIC ADVISORIES:
- No thru vehicle traffic will be allowed at the Science Hill Vocational School; pedestrian traffic will be allowed access from the Vocational School Parking Lot I to the entertainment areas
- Sections of Morningside Drive will be designated for UBER/Lift traffic only
- No thru traffic will be allowed on Guaranda Drive, Longview Drive, North Gilmer Park, Lacy Street, Sells Street, Mullins Street, Belmeade Drive, and Baron Drive. Only those showing driver licenses with home addresses in the blocked areas will be allowed access.
- Residents of these streets inviting guests to fireworks parties should provide police officers blocking the roads with a copy of their invitation list - all others will not be allowed access
- Pedestrian traffic will be stopped on Guaranda Drive at 8:45 p.m. and resume at 10:45 p.m.
- Pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be stopped on Liberty Bell Boulevard at 8:45 p.m. and resume at 10:45 p.m.
- Following the fireworks, one-way traffic only will be allowed on Sundale Drive, Longview Drive and Guaranda Drive
- Use the Knob Creek - State of Franklin connection to get between Bristol Highway, I-26 and Freedom Hall
- When leaving the fireworks, use I-26 (rather than Kingsport and Bristol Highways), State of Franklin Road and Highway 381
The Kermit Tipton Stadium will be closed all day Monday, July 3. For more information, please call Parks & Recreation at 423-283-5815.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
- Ambulances will be located around the periphery of the Freedom Hall site
- Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel will be posted at the command post location near the Freedom Hall pool
- EMS personnel on bicycles and golf car mini-med will circulate throughout the crowd
- Johnson City Fire Department personnel will be able to travel into the crowd via specially equipped golf cars to deliver emergency medical and fire suppression services
The best fireworks show in town will begin at 9:55 p.m. Please do not endanger yourself or others in the crowd by bringing your own fireworks
JOHNSON CITY CODE - Sec. 16-43 Fireworks -
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale, or keep in stock, or give away, within the city, or one (1) mile thereof, any firecracker, cannon cracker, torpedo, Roman candle, sky rocket, pin wheel or any fireworks of any nature whatsoever, or any toy pistol or cannon, discharged by percussion caps or by percussion caps and gunpowder or other means.
(b) No person shall sell, possess or use fireworks of any description within the city; provided, that this section shall not apply to wholesale dealers and jobbers who may possess fireworks for sale to merchants and dealers outside the city and sell same to such outside dealers and merchants; provided, further, that this section shall not apply to fairs, shows and exhibitors who desire to give fireworks displays for the amusement of the public; provided, that such displays shall be given under the joint supervision of the exhibitor and city police department so as to protect the health and welfare of the public, but no such fireworks display shall be given without a permit from the city recorder. (Code 1964, § 21-32)
FREEDOM HALL POOL JULY 3RD SCHEDULE
The Freedom Hall Pool will be closed July 3. For more information, please call Recreation Services at 423-434-5749.