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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - More than 250,000 people are expected to celebrate Independence Day on Lower Broadway this year with a massive concert and one of the nation’s largest fireworks displays.

The event was delayed for around one hour after a thunderstorm moved through the downtown area.

Event organizers said the extreme heat has made it dangerous to spend too much time outside, so they put several safety measures in place to keep people safe.

Cooling stations and emergency medics covered the downtown area, including misting areas and water filling stations.

“This is not our first time,” said Andrea Arnold with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. “Fourth of July is a hot day traditionally and safety is our No. 1 priority with any of our events.”

People started lining up before the gates opened at 11 a.m. Thursday with families and groups of friends enjoying the festivities despite the heat. Let Freedom Sing lowered the price of water bottles to just $1 and staff handed out free cooling towels and sunscreen.

“You don’t want to pass out if you get dehydrated,” said Andrea Collins, who came from Arkansas with her husband for the celebration. “I’m sure nobody wants to get sick, so just staying hydrated is very important.”

There’s a lot of people who tried to camp out in front of the stage to get the best spot to see Chris Young’s headlining performance, but organizers asked people to work with each other to save places and take breaks inside businesses with air conditioning.

Coolers are not allowed inside the event space, but people were encouraged to bring water bottles that can be refilled.