Best fireworks show in the U.S.? In Tennessee. In September.

There will be plenty of fireworks across the U.S. during the Fourth of July, but for the granddaddy of all pyrotechnics displays, you’ll have to wait until September in Bristol, Tenn.

Every year, the National Fireworks Assn. concludes its five-day trade show with two nights of gigantic fireworks displays. That gives the manufacturers, most of them from China, an opportunity to show off their latest creations.

“It brings buyers and sellers together from around the world,” said Nancy Blogin, the executive director.

The Friday and Saturday night displays are open to the public as a thank you to the communities that host the expo, which moves from city to city each year.

This year’s shows will be Sept. 11 and 12 at the Bristol Dragway, next door to the Bristol Motor Speedway, a track familiar to NASCAR fans. The fireworks shows will last about 45 minutes each evening. Also, America’s heroes will be remembered during a special observance on Sept. 11.

The per-car admission fee has yet to be determined, but Blogin said it would be “nominal.”

Long before Nashville became famous for country music, recording artists flocked to Bristol in 1927 for several days of famous recording sessions. The history is shared at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Bristol is actually two cities; one is in Tennessee and the other is in Virginia. The state line runs right down the middle of State Street, the main drag through downtown. Plaques embedded in the pavement denote the boundary.

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