Bring folding chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy during the concert, then stay and watch the 9 p.m. fireworks show shot from atop Red Mountain.Enjoy a free outdoor concert of patriotic music Friday, July 4, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Bartow Arena, then stay to watch the fireworks show from atop Red Mountain.

The 7 p.m. concert celebrating Independence Day is presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music.

The UAB Summer Band will perform tunes from blockbuster movie soundtracks and patriotic songs, including selections by composers George Gershwin, John Williams and John Philip Sousa. The concert will feature UAB students and local middle and high schools band directors as guest conductors.

Audience members are encouraged to get comfortable and bring folding chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy during the concert. Attendees can also participate in a raffle to conduct the band as they play “Stars and Stripes Forever” for the grand finale. The fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m.

The annual UAB Summer Band boasts approximately 90 people, including UAB faculty members, students and alumni, as well as professional and amateur musicians from the community. Some members have played with the group for more than 20 years. The band rehearses weekly during the month of June. UAB Director of Bands Sean Murray, Ph.D., conducts the Summer Band, along with Assistant Director of Bands Caleb Owenby, DMA.