SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn — Red, white and boom! The fireworks and 4th of July celebrations are going to be louder and bigger than ever after being canceled in 2020.
“This fourth of July celebration has been two years in the making," Collierville Tourism Director Ashley Carver said.
After missing out on the celebration in 2020, the year Collierville celebrated its 150th anniversary, Carver said they plan to go big this Independence Day.
“We will have the largest fireworks celebration that we have ever put on and it will be the largest in the Mid-South," she said. "We will be shooting almost 10,000 shells in 18 minutes - a quote from the fireworks technician is - it’s going to be a finale from start to finish.”
The festivities on July 3rd begin at 6:30 p.m. at H.W. Cox Park before the fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Collierville will also honor servicemen and women with a video during the celebration.
In Downtown Memphis, Memphis River Parks and the Downtown Memphis Commission are expecting a huge crowd for its 4th celebration on Sunday.
“I feel like it’s going to feel like a coming-out party after we’ve been through a tough 18 months. So it’s super exciting to have everyone coming downtown to celebrate," George Abbott of Memphis River Parks said.
Ahead of the display, the celebration includes activities like kayaking, rollerblading, two bands (Lucky 7 Brass Band and Nick Black Band), and DJs.
“Not only is it a way, like George said, for people to come outside and to gather, but it’s also a way to gainfully employee our musicians who have been out of work due to the pandemic," Tonya Dyson, the event producer for the 4th of July celebration.
The events will be split between Mud Island and River Park.
Tom Lee Park is currently closed for renovations. Riverside Drive will be closed to traffic and open for pedestrians. People will have space to watch the fireworks from there, Mud Island, River Park, and the Bluffs.
Abbott said traffic expects to be backed up downtown for the festivities. He encourages people looking to celebrate from Mud Island park downtown and walk over on the monorail.