Fourth of July is one of our favorite times to be in Nashville, and the challenge this year is to pack our days as full as we can with any of the billion events happening this weekend. Also, if you need to stock up on booze for your cookouts/block parties/BYOB-type things, do it today since all liquor stores will be closed tomorrow. Most importantly, have a blast and stay safe out there! And if we’ve left out something fun, let us know in the comments.

FRIDAY

• THIRTH of July Block Party, 6pm, 12th Ave. N., $10. Having racked up a respectable winning streak for “Best Block Party” in the Nashville Scene, the 4th annual Thirth of July party just a few blocks from Five Points is worth checking out. Entertainment includes a few local favorites like the Silver Seas and possibly some burlesque. Potluck and beer are free with admission (though one savvy tipster recommends BYOB since the kegs run out fast), and all proceeds benefit the Adventure Science Center.
• Autovaughn @ Poolapalooza, 7pm, Opryland Hotel, FREE. Part of the Opryland Hotel’s free summer concert series/pool party/all-around good time. Read what we had to say about it here.
• Nashville Shores’ Shores & Stripes. 5pm, Nashville Shores, $20/carload. Nashville Shores is having a Shores & Stripes celebration all day, but after 5pm, admission is just $20 per carload, and includes a couple hours at the water park, a beach concert and a fireworks show.

SATURDAY

• Music City Hot Chicken Festival, 11am-3pm, East Park, FREE. One of our favorite things about summer in Nashville. Lots of chicken, lots of beer, an amateur hot chicken cooking contest with some celebrity (kinda) judges, and free hot chicken samples for the first 500 folks to venture out.
• Farmers’ Market Summer Grill Party, 11am-2pm, Nashville Farmers’ Market, FREE. Come out and support your local farmers and artisans with some live music and grilled veggies (you know, if chicken doesn’t do it for you.)
• Franklin on the Fourth, 11am-9pm, Historic Downtown Franklin, FREE. Franklin’s annual kid-friendly Independence Day celebration with food, crafts, inflatable jumpy things, climbing walls, and the ever-popular kids parade at 4pm.
• Music City July 4th: Let Freedom Sing, 12pm (party), 9:03pm (fireworks), downtown, FREE. This is Nashville’s “official” July 4th shindig, and we’ll warn you that it can get crazy-crowded. Somehow MTA (yes, the actual Metro Transit Authority) is part of the entertainment, along with the Gabe Dixon Band, Wynonna, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. For the lazies among us, it’ll also be livestreaming on the internet.
• Nashville Choir’s In God We Trust, Bicentennial Mall State Park, 7pm, FREE. If you’re looking for something a little more low-key, grab a picnic dinner and head down to Bicentennial for an evening of entertainment including American Idol finalist Phil Stacey, some bluegrass, and historical reenactments.
• 4th of July Urban Ride with Team Green. 7:30pm, Centennial Park, FREE. Join Lightning 100′s Team Green as they bike from Centennial Park to the Woodland Street Bridge to hang out and watch the fireworks. And one of the best things about biking? No traffic!
• Fourth of July @ Mercy Lounge. 8pm, $5/$8 for dudes, ladies free. Mercy Lounge touts the “Best View of Downtown Fireworks in Nashville!” and a couple of good bands are playing.

SUNDAY

• Rock & Roll Team Trivia, 8pm, Mercy Lounge, FREE. So this happens every Sunday, but this week they’re doubling the stakes with $100, $50, and $20 prizes for winning teams. You’ll get three rounds of questions, two rounds of name-that-tune, and a final round showdown. Free parking and drink specials all night.

Photo by Brent & MariLynn.

Related posts:

1. Celebrate Independence Day The Nashville Way
2. The Weekendist: 4th Of July Edition
3. The Weekendist: Remember The Days Edition
4. Opryland’s Poolapalooza Is Back For Another Boozy Summer
5. Hot Holidays With Hot Chicken: Music City Hot Chicken Festival