Where can I get a free forum provider?

I think a good place to always try is Bravenet. they have just about everything you could want for webpages...I get my counters from them...

This would depend greatly on what host you use. Finding one for free will be a challenge in the event that the forum takes off and you get a lot of posts, as free providers limit your bandwidth and storage space. I make web sites and one of my favorite free providers for hosting is ifastnet.com due to the fact they allow usage of Mysql. Dreamhost is my favorite paid host because they let you easily add things like a forum, shopping cart, and more to your site. Do you have limits on your hosting? Can you use Mysql? Would you have the ability and knowledge to upload a script and edit it to your needs? Things like using an FTP uploader and being able to edit the permissions and so forth will be greatly helpful. There are tons of free scripts out there but without knowing your limits I would have no idea where to direct you. If you can give me some more info I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.