NASHVILLE, Tenn. — What helped make Nashville’s biggest Independence Day celebration larger than life will soon be helping Nashville families bring home groceries.
Nearly 100 reusable grocery bags are being created by Smart Art + Craft Supplies from vinyl banners used during Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th, Nashville’s signature Independence Day celebration produced by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. The completed bags will be donated to The Store, where customers will use them to carry home the groceries they select for themselves and their families. The project gives event materials a life far beyond the celebration they were created for. Instead of sending the vinyl to a landfi ll after July 4th, Smart Art is transforming it into something practical, durable and deeply connected to the community: a reusable grocery bag that can be put directly into the hands of Nashville neighbors.
Over 350 pounds of vinyl have been diverted from the landfi ll through this project.
“This is exactly what we mean when we talk about reuse at Smart Art,” said Kyle Graden, Head of Operations at Smart Art + Craft Supplies. “This vinyl was part of an incredible Nashville celebration experienced by hundreds of thousands of people. Rather than letting it become waste when the celebration was over, we get to transform it into something useful and put it right back into the hands of our neighbors. It’s the very best of Smart Art + Craft Supplies, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., and The Store, and there's something really special about that.”
“Let Freedom Sing! is a celebration of Nashville, so it’s especially meaningful to see part of the event continue to serve our community long after the fi reworks are over,” said Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Our partnership with Smart Art + Craft Supplies and The Store found a creative way to reduce waste, give our event banners a second life and put them to good use in our community. We love knowing these reusable bags will fi nd a new home with customers at The Store and that a small piece of Let Freedom Sing! will live on beyond the event.”
“We’re so excited to see this creative collaboration come to life and grateful to Smart Art + Craft Supplies, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. and everyone who helped make it possible,” said Collen Mayer, CEO of The Store. “There’s something special about taking a piece of a celebration that brought Nashville together and giving it a new purpose for our neighbors. These bags will become part of the shopping experience at The Store, where our customers have the dignity of choosing the fresh, nutritious food that’s right for themselves and their families.”
A Record-Breaking Celebration
2026 Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th celebration made Nashville history, drawing a record-breaking estimated 400,000 attendees to downtown Nashville. The free, two-day celebration expanded in 2026 as part of America250, featuring more stages, more live music and the largest fi reworks and drone show in Nashville’s history.
The celebration featured performances by The All-American Rejects, Boyz II Men, Brothers Osborne, Lauren Daigle, NE-YO, Nick Jonas, Sublime and more, along with dozens of local performers.
Now, a small portion of the physical footprint of that massive celebration will continue its journey through Nashville.
Smart Art, The Store, NCVC
Smart Art + Craft Supplies is Nashville’s art and craft supply thrift store and a social enterprise benefi ting Progress, Inc. Smart Art gives donated and surplus creative materials a second life while providing meaningful employment and job-training opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities. Its mission is centered on three ideas: Employ, Reuse and Create. For more information, visit us online at SmartArtAndCraft.org and fi nd us on social media @SmartArtAndCraftSupplies.
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media @VisitMusicCity.
The Store, founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, is a Nashville nonprofi t addressing food insecurity through a free grocery store model centered on dignity, choice and community. Customers shop for fresh, nutritious food and choose the groceries that best fit their household’s needs and preferences. Visit The Store’s website at TheStore.org.
###
