My daughter's first grade class recently visited for a field trip. I was impressed by the…read moreorganization and what was covered as part of the field trip. The location was easy to find and a quick drive from Franklin. Plenty of parking was available for our group. The lot was gravel which I usually hate, but I didn't mind their lot. The field trip was well organized and had three parts. It was a great mix of being educational and entertaining. The kids started in the barn area and ate lunch (that they brought) at the tables in there. Bathrooms were available in that building. The guide there (a taller gentleman) taught the kids dances and etiquette. He was great with the kids. Next, we moved to the home tour. The guide there obviously did not like kids and was on the dry side. It was still educational and interesting to see the house. Lastly, the kids made cards using feathers and "ink" for writing. It was a nice variety of activities. Travellers Rest is a good spot to check out for people with an interest in history.

I had the pleasure of visiting Traveller's Rest on a sunny October afternoon. There are layers of…read morehistory here, with very knowledgeable guides. Our guide, Hannah, was an personable, engaging storyteller who could answer any questions. I appreciated that the tour gave a full picture of the history--good, bad and ugly. Recommended!

Musicians Corner's 16th season is underway. I was so excited to see Britney Spencer headlining…read moreFriday night. She sounded amazing. I love seeing families, couples, friend groups, and everything in between in attendance. The weather was perfect and I am so grateful for free public access to live music in Centennial Park every May/June and September. Everyone should have the chance to listen to incredible music in Music City. Musicians Corner is a program of Centennial Park Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to preserve, enhance, and share the Parthenon and Centennial Park. Street parking can be found around the park. There are a variety of vendors that range from food, beer, crafts, snacks, and artist merch available to buy. I recommend bringing a thick blanket or lawn chair! The ground was a little uncomfortable and I just need to make sure I come more prepared next time. Events like this make Nashville special! Can't wait to go back this summer.

What's not to love? Musician's Corner is an annual series of free concerts in the back corner of…read moreCentennial Park. This past weekend (5/17/24, 5/18/24) was the opening weekend of the spring 2024 series, the 15th anniversary year of the series. Sponsored by grants and corporate sponsors, attendees don't have to pay a dime for a show and there's almost always plenty of free parking in and around the park to boot. Vendors set up around the circle--food, beer, crafts, snacks, and artist/venue merch. The variety of artists is pretty wide from genre (country, rock, soul, jazz, everything else) to experience (newbies, up-and-comers, seasoned veterans). For example, this past Saturday consisted of a newer soul artist out of D.C. (Kenny Sharp), Vince Gill (celebrating those 15 years with 15 minutes), a young local alt-rock/pop band (Nordista Freeze), and Lissie (a fantastic 20-year indie rock veteran with a great band). Rain rolled in clearing out a lot of the space as Lissie played but she kept on rocking through the rain with a full, excellent set. Bring your own blanket, towel or lawn chair. You can even bring a cooler in so long as you leave the booze at home (they want you to buy theirs if you're thirsty).

So, Nashville isn't really a visual arts town. So I was excited when my mother-in-law asked if I…read morewanted to visit this gallery on the Fisk University campus. We visited on a day they were still setting up an exhibit, so the pieces were missing their signage, but the students at the front desk were happy to answer our questions when they could! It's a small gallery, but with interesting work. And quite unique in Nashville! I recommend visiting (and exploring Fisk's gorgeous and historic campus)!

The Carl Van Vechten Gallery is a real gem. It's split in to two galleries. The main gallery…read morefeatures the Alfred Stieglitz collection which has Picasso, Cezanne, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, O'Keeffe, and Stieglitz... all here in Nashville. Downstairs is the second gallery which has rotating exhibits. Both galleries are housed in a historic building on the Fisk University campus.

Nashville Film Festival is in its 53rd year. For those who are unaware, that's practically unheard…read moreof in the film festival world. Capitalizing on its location in Music City (Nashville, TN), the Nashville Film Festival is a week-long festival that weaves together film, music, and culture and produces a film festival that is both critically acclaimed and noted for its hospitality. The festival utilizes some of Nashville's most historic cinemas - The Belcourt Theater, the Franklin Theatre in nearby Franklin, TN, and the Andrew Johnson Theatre at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The Virgin Hotels in Nashville also hosted screenings. I've always sort of been on the fringes of the Nashville Film Festival starting when Brian Owens (formerly of Indy Film Fest) was their artistic director and because of a sort of kinship that exists between Nashville and Indy's own Heartland Film Festival. However, this year was the first year I became actually credentialed by the festival as a film journalist and was able to cover screenings as press. The process for credentialing was really media friendly and I've been super impressed with how much follow-up the festival does with its media. It really makes me want to stay in Nashville and cover the entire week (which I may do next year). This year's festival had 150+ screenings (both in-person and virtual offerings, though the virtual offerings were definitely more limited). They also offered panels, workshops, live music performances, a creators conference, and quite a few activities after the day of screenings for filmmakers, press, and specific target populations. The film festival is guided by the non-profit organization NashFilm and it does offer year-round activities including outdoor movies, educational programming (they offered a great screening of the wonderful documentary "Butterfly in the Sky" during the festival for area school kids), the Living Reel Project, and quite a bit more. Of the theatres, Belcourt is easily my favorite. As is true of all festivals (or most), tickets are less expensive if a member. However, you can also get all access passes that really make it pretty affordable. The website makes it super easy to check out film options, the schedule, and to get tickets. Staff and volunteers are all friendly and helpful and I really like the vibe here. It's artsy yet accessibly so. I suppose I expected it to be a tad snootier and that just wasn't the experience at all. This is a definite gem of a film festival. It lacks the pretentiousness of some festivals and really just offers great screenings at great venues and people you enjoy being around. If you're in Nashville, it's a no-brainer to attend and I'd definitely consider this a festival worth taking some vacation time and attending!

Awarded one of my coveted 5-star ratings!…read more One of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in Nashville. I mean, this is right up there with sitting behind the glass at a Predators game! A person at the festival told me that the atmosphere of openness and accessibility was how the big-city, big-name film festivals used to be. It's unfortunate that things change and I understand that it is most likely a response to changing conditions at the festival sites. I felt like I was a VIP with the access that I had to directors, producers, sponsors, writers, and generally anyone that had anything to do with the movies. Admission to the movies was $12, or $9 if you were wearing a rock n roll t-shirt, which was not advertised very heavily. The Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 is not a new theater, which added to the ambiance when watching movies. Seats were comfy but a bit creaky at times. Some of the movies/events I enjoyed: Musica Campesina - A new immigrant tries to get his feet on the ground in a new city (filmed in Nashville!) 10 Days to Nashville - Short documentary of a couples journey to their mecca - Nashville again! Stranger Things - Trust and human connections are explored Broke - The music industry is in flux and how one group is struggling to make it big Gustavo Santaolla - Two-time Academy Award winner who scored Brokeback Mtn and many other films Terri - Social misfit develops a warm relationship and has a coming of age experience Mercy Lounge - Closing party I will be there next year!

Bop it, twist it, tuft it! After a visit to this cute new crafting oasis in Goodlettsville, I am…read moreofficially obsessed with tufting. Everyone should get out there and try this unique art form, whether you feel like you're a creative or not! A friend and I booked small rug classes for a Sunday evening, and arrived a few minutes early to find we were sharing the space with just two other pairs. Casey (part-owner and tufting extraordinaire) led us through the entire tufting process, from design selection to mastering the tufting gun and cutting out and shaving the finished rug. I went with a tomato pattern, and had so much fun picking out what colors I wanted to use from their massive yarn wall. The actual tufting is pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it ... it's just finding the right pressure to make the power tool do what you want them to do. This could absolutely be a fun solo activity, but I do recommend going with a partner or a friend for your first visit. It's fun to cheer each other on and watch how each other's projects are coming to life. I've hung my creation on the wall in my kitchen, and cannot wait to come back again soon and do an even larger pattern next time. I also might want to buy my own tufting gear? Like I said, I'm obsessed, and you should be too!

This gallery is a must see. It's got NYC taste and feel, with southern warmth. My art works friend…read moremoved from NYC to Nashville. We are alumn of the Skowhegan Program. We spent the most time at this gallery, and had the most satisfaction venturing here. It was inspirational from an artist's point of view. The gallery owner w said hello. That was nice!

Thanks for your generous time today Greg - I was able to turn this dirty painting into a beaut with…read moreyour tips! I can't wait to visit the gallery.

This is a great little boutique to snag a simple little frock, gifts and jewelry. I didn't end up…read morewith anything for myself (I was shopping for an LBD), butI actually bought my girlfriend a skull bracelet (see pic) - which she loved. The sales girls are nice, everything is affordable ...

I stumbled across this location when I was trying to find parking for Crows Nest and the crabby…read moresecurity guard at Kroger ran me off. Since I had been sent away in one parking lot; I thought it was best that I take a quick look in this store so I could say, hey I was shopping here. When you first enter the store you will notice the great layout, plenty of room and some wonderful eye catching displays. The selection of spring and trendy dresses is a big WIN in my book. I think it is hard to find a trendy and cute dress in Nashville that is ideal for the middle of the road aged woman. I mean I love Blush and Posh but if you are over 30 the dresses can be a little short and if you actually have some curves and a set of boobs the tops just don't fit. But I regress... There is a unique selection of jewelery, scarves, bags and some flats to round out the perfect outfit. They also have some great one of a kind gift ideas; silver serving trays, etiquette and books on southern charm, candles, pitchers and some gnomes. The owner and staff is very personable and I spent about thirty minutes sharing about the nonprofit I volunteer for to find out that they do fund raisers as well or will do home parties if one is so inclined. This store will be added to my regular rotation and almost hate to let my secret out! It seems they are a chain as they do have three locations in Atlanta.

Don't attend a game here!!! They only allow one exit and one entrance for the entire capacity…read more Huge fire hazard or active shooter hazard. Like shooting fish in a barrel with only one exit. One security guard said that's just the way they do it and another said because of the construction outside but we didn't see any construction. We left prior to game ending but took 35 minutes to get out of the building. If this is the case they shouldn't be allowed to have events here.

Pretty good place to visit. Not alot of restrooms. Feels out of date. Seats on the sideline are far…read morefrom the court so it's best to try and sit behind the basket. Over all a pretty good experience.