Rainbow City’s annual Freedom Flight and Festival kicks off the local Fourth of July celebrations for Etowah County this Saturday, June 28.
The Rainbow City Sportsplex will be packed with food trucks, family-friendly games, live music and a synchronized drone show.
Australian-born and Nashville-based country music artist Lily Grace is headlining the event. She performed in Alabama last weekend for the first time and she said she is excited to perform for Rainbow City.
“I visited Alabama for the first time ever last weekend and I’m already coming back,” Grace said. “I’m hooked. I loved the people, and I’ve heard Rainbow City has some awesome people too. I can’t wait to meet you all and put on a great show. I’m kind of obsessed with the Southern accent! It’s just the best. I’ve loved getting to explore a bit of small-town Alabama – wandering through the local shops, chatting with people, getting a feel for the community. There’s something really special about it. It feels like you’re stepping into a slice of real, everyday America, and I’m soaking up every bit of it. I can’t wait to be back and keep discovering more.”
Grace describes her musical style as “country, pop, rock” mixed with good storytelling. She said her closing track on her setlist “Give Me That” is a song that the crowd can really connect with.
“When I play it live, you can feel the energy shift…” Grace said. “Everyone’s ready to just enjoy the moment, sing along and celebrate whatever’s coming next. It’s the perfect way to close out a set because it leaves everyone with that high-energy, good vibes feeling.”
To warm up for her show and set the tone, Grace says she liked to listen to Gretchen Wilson’s “Stay Here for the Party.” She said that the song gets her pumped every time.
“It makes me want to jump on stage and have a blast,” Grace said. “It’s like the perfect hype-up tune before I go out and play.”
Grace has always loved the country music community. Though she isn’t from the American Deep South, and instead from a beach town in Australia, she says that she has always felt a connection to the music. Her mother is from Tamworth, a place that Grace calls the “Nashville of Australia.” She said she fell in love with country music at a festival when she was young, and since then, she has been hooked.
“My dad used to call me the ‘surfing cowgirl’ when I was little, which always makes me laugh,” Grace said. “Even though I wasn’t raised on a farm, I’ve always loved the country community and feel really lucky to be a part of it now.”
Grace said she looks up to Dolly Parton and dreams of collaborating with her one day.
“She’s not only a legend in the country music scene and such a vibrant talent, but I just look up to her so much for how she’s paved the way for so many women in country music,” Grace said. “Her impact goes beyond just the music — she’s been a trailblazer, breaking barriers and showing what’s possible for female artists in this industry. Collaborating with her would be the greatest honor.”
She also looks up to artists she says, “stayed true to themselves.”
“What really inspires me are the people who pour their whole selves into their art — not just the polished, pretty parts, but the messy, complicated, human parts too,” Grace said. “I’m drawn to artists who create from a place of truth, who aren’t trying to fit a mold or chase trends, but who are brave enough to show up exactly as they are. There’s a kind of electricity in that kind of honesty — you can feel it in the lyrics, in the way they perform, in how they carry themselves. It’s rare, and it’s powerful. The people I look up to the most are the ones who’ve stayed true to themselves, even when it wasn’t easy. That kind of courage is contagious.”
As for Grace’s music, she hopes her setlist connects with people in the audience. She joked that since she isn’t from America, she doesn’t think she should sing the National Anthem, but she did say she might throw “Sweet Home Alabama” on her setlist.
“I hope people walk away feeling uplifted and connected,” Grace said. “My goal as an artist is to be authentic in sharing my life experiences through my songwriting in a way that feels real. I write songs that I hope people can connect with, songs that make them feel understood and a little bit stronger. At the end of the day, I want to create a space where everyone feels welcome, supported and connected.”
Grace said she is ready to party with Rainbow City and is looking forward to having a great time in Etowah County.
“I’m so excited to be playing live in Rainbow City for the first time this Independence Day,” Grace said. “Please come out — we’d absolutely love to party with you and have a great time together. It’s going to be a night full of good music, good vibes and plenty of fun. Can’t wait to see you all there.”
The free event will be held from 5 – 9 p.m. at 625 Kinzie Lane, Rainbow City.
