Chattanooga Symphony & Opera's Pops on the River is July 3

Organizers anticipate thousands of people coming to Coolidge Park for Chattanooga's annual Independence Day celebration, Pops on the River, on Monday, July 3.

"This is the largest crowd we perform for every year," says Kayoko Dan, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera conductor. "It's an amazing event where the whole city gets together and enjoys music and independence."

Entertainment starts at 5 p.m. with a tribute to veterans, featuring Operation Song. The group holds classes in which veterans relate their war experiences to Nashville songwriters, who craft those stories into songs.

"We are trying to get as many area veterans to our segment [as we can]," says Bobbie Standefer of Operation Song. "We are giving them a free CD signed by our Nashville songwriters if they come to the booth and check us out. They will enjoy the stories put to music."

Fans of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera fill Coolidge Park at last summer's Pops on the River.

The CSO concert will begin at 8 p.m. The performance will include a mix of patriotic and show tunes from movies including "Frozen," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The concert also offers traditional tunes to honor veterans such as "Armed Forces Salute" and "Stars and Stripes Forever." And as is tradition, the concert concludes with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."

Fletcher Bright and The Dismembered Tennesseans will join the orchestra on popular songs such as "The Tennessee Waltz" and "Summer of My Dreams," says Dan.

Vietnam veteran Henry Slayton says he supports the pops concert because he likes live music and appreciates the tribute to veterans. He especially wishes young people would become more involved in patriotic observances so that the history of America's fight for freedom isn't lost.

"Anytime you can honor veterans (it is good), but it seems like that's becoming a lost cause," he says, adding that he feels it's especially important for youth in the black community to step up.

"Our kids need to get into that," says Slayton, who is black. "They need to know what happened."

Fireworks, shot from Renaissance Park, will begin about 9:45 p.m. following the symphony's concert.

Coolidge Park will close to vehicular traffic at 4 p.m. on July 3. Free shuttle services will run from Republic parking lots between Fourth and Fifth streets from 6 to 11 p.m. Shuttles will pick up and drop off on the north side of the river near the Chattanooga Theatre Centre at the intersection of Tremont and River Streets.

Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.