I’m old enough to remember — through childhood nostalgia — America’s Bicentennial in 1976. My family went to a pool party at a friend’s country club to watch a huge fireworks display, eat burgers, and drink soda (the latter only for special occasions). My core memory, however, is that my brother, our babysitter, and I spent the previous weeks painting a fire hydrant to resemble Paul Revere, part of a nationwide campaign to paint fire hydrants as patriotic characters.
I can't walk around town and see a quirky art installation of fire hydrants for America 250, sadly. But I can support local shopkeepers by shopping locally for holiday essentials. (Remember to check hours, as business owners need to celebrate the holiday, too.)
It’s going to be hot as a firecracker this week, so if you don’t want to turn on the oven or fire up the grill to cook, understood. In Good Company in the Shoppes on Fatherland is a gourmet grocery with tinned fish, crackers, and the cutest new striped bags for carrying your picnic supplies wherever you are headed. (Need a new picnic blanket? Order a locally made one from Faircloth.)
If you want to dress like a human firework, with sequins and sparkles that catch the light, head to Any Old Iron on 4th Avenue North. Andrew Clancey makes stagewear for the biggest stars … but also clothes for the rest of us. Even if you don’t plan on going out for the Fourth, you can dress yourself in rodeo PJs for an Americana vibe.
If you’re going to spend the long weekend outside, you gotta protect your eyes. UAL sells designer samples of clothing and shoes, and it is my go-to for affordable, but not junky, sunglasses. The Southern chain started in Mississippi and has three locations in Nashville, including West End, 12 South, and a new one on White Bridge Pike.
You gotta protect your skin, too. East Nashville’s Lemon Laine has some color-free zinc options that are high in SPF but won’t make you look like a five-year-old at the pool.
