Main Street Live a blast

Friday’s Main Street Live packed a little extra punch. Main Street McMinnville, organizers of the free summer concert series, partnered with Ben Lomand Connect and First National Bank of Middle Tennessee to make the weekly concert part of Freedom Fest at Milner Recreation Center to celebrate Fourth of July.

Ninth Sun, 2024 Battle of the Bands winners, opened MSL an hour earlier than usual at 6 p.m. before The Joe Harvey Band took the stage after 7 p.m. and played until the fireworks began shortly after 9 p.m. Chris Cope of Crisp Springs Fireworks provided the pyrotechnic display, syncing the show with music broadcast on Star 107.7.

**Seth Wright photo -** The Joe Harvey Band headlined Main Street Live, playing a two-hour set which led into the fireworks show.

Main Street Media, several food trucks, the McMinnville Police Department and other vendors set up around the grassy area between the Milner Recreation Center main building and the Gilley Pool to serve the large crowd gathered for the concert and fireworks show.

This marked the second year Ben Lomand Connect and First National Bank have partnered to present Freedom Fest and the fireworks show. The event is quickly gaining momentum and organizers hope it continues to grow and further establish itself as a Warren County tradition.

**Seth Wright photo -** Pieter van Vuuren, Greg Smartt, Anne Vance and Bryan Kell of First National Bank of Middle Tennessee and Ben Lomand Connect help children contribute to the Freedom Fest coloring wall.

“It always has been a great event ever since Dr Pepper put it on,” Ben Lomand Connect GM/CEO Greg Smartt said. “Our partnership was about not letting that die and keeping it going for Warren and surrounding counties. it’s a big event. There are more people here than we had last year.”

“I think the addition of Main Street Live and a local band like The Joe Harvey Band, Chris Cope - a local - doing the fireworks and two of the oldest companies in McMinnville partnering together all makes for a great event,” FNBMT President and CEO Pieter van Vuuren added. “We love getting everybody together to end the day. It started with the Fun Run downtown, and it was great to end the day this way and having everybody together enjoying each other’s company and enjoying this beautiful country and its birthday.”

“This is local people putting on a local show,” Smartt concluded. “Chris Cope is local, Main Street Media is here, Jason Gross is working on the sound and working with Main Street Media to pull this all together. It’s an exciting time.”

Next week, Main Street Live will return to Security Federal Savings Bank’s West Lawn with Iconic Women of Music At 7 p.m.