Fireworks and a free symphony performance are set to return to Chattanooga this Fourth of July.
Pops on the River, a long-running event that took a break last year due to a lack of funding, plans to come back to Coolidge Park on July 3, according to organizer Carla Pritchard.
(READ MORE: Hot, wet summer expected in Chattanooga)
"It's a beloved tradition in the community, so we've been working hard to bring it back," Pritchard said by phone Monday.
Last year, Chattanooga's government cut its funding for the July Fourth event from $49,500 to $25,000, after splitting that money to help fund Juneteenth celebrations.
With less money to work with, Pritchard opted to organize an event at Miller Park with a laser music show, instead of fireworks, in 2023. The event drew mixed reviews.
"The only reason that Fun on the Fourth happened last year instead of Pops was a matter of funding," Pritchard said. "It wasn't like, 'Oh, let's just try something different and see if people like it better.'"
This year, the city provided $50,000 for the Pops event, Pritchard said.
It costs more than $100,000 to put on the celebration, she said. The price tag has gone up in the past few years with inflation and rising labor costs, according to Pritchard.
Another $10,000 came from Hamilton County's government, spokesperson Mary Francis Hoots said in a text. It's the first time the county has supported the event in recent years, Hoots said.
Law firm Warren and Griffin reached out "almost immediately after" last year's event to offer the money needed to restore Pops — fireworks, symphony and all — for this year's celebration, Pritchard said. Other corporate sponsors helped fill in the rest of the funding needed, she said.
(READ MORE: Restaurant Scene: Riverport Grille opening on Broad Street)
The event is a rare opportunity to see the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera for free, Pritchard said.
If you go
— What: Pops on the River
— When: Kickoff at 4:30 p.m., Chattanooga Symphony and Opera at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. on July 3
— Where: Coolidge Park
— What to bring: Lawn chairs, picnic blankets, food and non-alcoholic beverages. Food and drinks also available to buy.
"For a midsize city, it's a little bit unique," she said of the symphony.
Before the symphony plays at 7:30 p.m., local band Love, Peace and Happiness is set to perform starting at 4:30 p.m.
In recent years, Pops has drawn crowds of between 10,000 and 20,000 people to Coolidge Park, Pritchard said she's heard from police estimates.
The event moved to Chattanooga in 2000 after starting as Pops in the Park at the Chickamauga Battlefield in Georgia.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.
Staff photo / Kayoko Dan conducts the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera during the Pops on the River celebration at Coolidge Park on July 3, 2019, in Chattanooga.