Weekend Happenings: May 18-21
I cannot get over these gorgeous blooms from Garden Delights! One of my favorite bouquets ever!
Here are a few weekend ideas for you!
- May 18th, 19th and 20th
- Ag Expo Park
- Rodeo competition events, kids events, specialty acts and a lot of family fun! The Rodeo Parade will be on the 13th, a free family night on the 17th! One of my favorite events of the year!
- May 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th, 28th
- Centennial Park
- Live music, children’s activities and more
- May 20th
- Cornelia Fort Park
- Live music from Laney Jones and the Spirits, Miss Tess and Dakota Danielle. Craft beer, food options and family activities will also be available.
- May 21st
- Shelby Bottoms Park
- The Mutt Strutt raises money for at-risk cats and dogs. A 5K and one-mile fun run are both options.
- May 18th
- East Park (600 Woodland Street, Nashville)
- Annual showcase of East Nashville’s best food and drink, where 100 percent of proceeds directly support Fannie Battle Day Home for Children. We are back in person again this year and can’t wait to share an incredible lineup of restaurants, entertainment, and experiences.
Annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival
- May 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th and 29th
- Castle Gwynn in Arrington
- Attendees will enjoy an artisan marketplace, specialty food, drinks, live music. There will be be a Queen’s Tea where guests can enjoy tea and pastries with the Queen and her court.
May Events
- May 4th through 6th
- Harding Academy
- Harding Academy’s annual show is free and open to the public, featuring curated art selections and supporting arts education in Nashville.
LIGHT: Bruce Munro at Cheekwood
- May 4th through October 27th
- Cheekwood
- Visual artist Bruce Munro showcases his light installations at the exhibit’s 10th anniversary! LIGHT encourages journeys through time and space.
52nd Annual Spring Tennessee Craft Fair
- May 5th through 7th
- Centennial Park
- This annual event is free to attend and features art from over 100 artisans across the Southeast. The events also includes live demonstrations, workshops, a children’s tent, and much more.
- May 6th
- Sevier Park
- Celebrate local artists, makers and musicians along wtih an Edley’s Bar-B-Que hot wing eating contest, live music from Will Hoge and more! Event begins at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 for ages 18+ (Children 17 and under receive free admission with a paid adult)
4th Annual Nashville Wellness Fest
- May 6th
- Nashville Fairgrounds
- The Nashville Wellness Fest hosts over 100 vendors specializing in physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The event will include workshops, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, and more. Tickets are $5 in advance
Annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival
- May 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th and 29th
- Castle Gwynn in Arrington
- Attendees will enjoy an artisan marketplace, specialty food, drinks, live music. There will be be a Queen’s Tea where guests can enjoy tea and pastries with the Queen and her court.
82nd Annual Iroquois Steeplechase
- May 13th
- Percy Warner Park
- Horse race, tailgating, hat and style contests, Parade of the Hounds and more!
Mother’s Day at Lemon
- May 13th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Lemon Gift Shop at The Factory
- Join me and friends for a fun Mother’s Day event including permanent jewelry, hair braiding, book signings, a color analysis with House of Colour, shopping and more!
- May 14th beginning at 2:05 p.m.
- First Horizon Park
- Join me at the Nashville Sound’s game on Mother’s Day! I’ll be throwing out the first pitch during Sunday Family Fun Day, which always include pregame autographs from the players, postgame Round the Bases and I’ll be doing a book signing to benefit Comfort Connections therapy dogs! We’ll have special furry friends there too!
- May 18th
- East Park (600 Woodland Street, Nashville)
- Annual showcase of East Nashville’s best food and drink, where 100 percent of proceeds directly support Fannie Battle Day Home for Children. We are back in person again this year and can’t wait to share an incredible lineup of restaurants, entertainment, and experiences.
- May 18th, 19th and 20th
- Ag Expo Park
- Rodeo competition events, kids events, specialty acts and a lot of family fun! The Rodeo Parade will be on the 13th, a free family night on the 17th! One of my favorite events of the year!
- May 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th, 28th
- Centennial Park
- Live music, children’s activities and more
- May 20th
- Cornelia Fort Park
- Live music from Laney Jones and the Spirits, Miss Tess and Dakota Danielle. Craft beer, food options and family activities will also be available.
- May 21st
- Shelby Bottoms Park
- The Mutt Strutt raises money for at-risk cats and dogs. A 5K and one-mile fun run are both options.
Nashville Easter Round Up
- Saturday, April 8th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Nashville Zoo
- Nashville Zoo’s annual spring celebration is back with egg hunts and Easter fun for children of all ages. Activities during the day include 12 scheduled egg hunts for kids, face painting, keepe r talks, animal encounters and animal egg hunts! Reservations are required and will sell out!
- Monday, April 3rd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bound Booksellers
- Egg hunt, an Easter craft, storytime and treats. Registration required
- Through May 14th
- Gaylord Opryland
- An itinerary full of both weekend and weekday activities are in store for guests including a brand-new crafting clubhouse and interactive show for kids, spring-themed boat rides, an Easter Bunny meet and greet and much more.
The Great Harpeth Easter Egg Hunt
- Sunday, April 9th
- Main Street, Franklin (From 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue)
- This event will feature 12 golden eggs hidden in top secret locations throughout downtown. Each egg will be filled with an awesome prize such as a one night stay at The Harpeth, dinner for two at 1799 Kitchen + Cocktails, a $50 gift card to McGavock’s Coffee and Provisions and lots more! The event begins at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Once you’ve located a golden egg, post a photo on Instagram, tagging @harpethhotel, and tell us where the egg was found. Eggs + prize certificates must be redeemed by Saturday, April 15th.
- Friday, April 7th and Saturday, April 8th
- Cheekwood
- Featuring nine oversized bunnies painted by local artists – eight of them hidden throughout the gardens – and the return of egg hunts, the Great Spring Art Hop is not to be missed! The event will also feature food trucks, live entertainment and family activities!
- Saturday, March 25th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Draper James
- For Pete’s Sake Pottery will be popping up with a beautiful variety of hand painted eggs, chonoiserie bunnies and build your own Bunny village!
- Saturday, April 8th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Rolling Hills Community Church (All campuses)
- Join us at any Rolling Hills Campus for our fun and exciting Easter Jam! No matter what campus you call home, you’re invited to join us at one of our two in-person After Jam locations. There will be inflatables, egg hunts, a petting zoo, crafts, food trucks, and more! Other than the food trucks, everything at the After Jam is FREE!
- Saturday, April 8th (Gates open at 12:30 and close at 1:15 p.m., Egg Hunt is at 1:30 p.m.)
- Cedarmont Farm
- Bring a picnic & blanket and join us and the Easter Bunny
- for a lovely afternoon of egg hunting on the farm!
- Egg Hunts will be divided by age group and in addition to candy-filled eggs, there will be a special prize egg hidden in each egg hunt area. All proceeds from this event will be donated to TN Alliance for Kids
Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Festival
- Friday, April 7th and Saturday, April 8th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Lucky Ladd Farms
- Celebrate spring with the Easter Bunny as he gets things hopping around the Farm! This family friendly event features all your favorite farm attractions, non-stop egg hunts, and you will meet some of our brand new sweet fuzzy baby animals. It’s an EGG-citing way start the spring season!
- Easter Bunny meet-and-greets takes place each hour throughout event.
- Saturday, April 8th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Plaza Mariachi
- The Hispanic Family Foundation in cooperation with its partners will hold a community Easter Egg Hunt at Plaza Mariachi on Saturday, April 16, 2022. There will be live music and entertainment, contests, prizes, and more!
- Saturday, April 16th beginning at 1 p.m.
- Brentwood Library
- The John P. Holt Brentwood Library invites you to the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Come early to enjoy, beginning at 1:00 p.m. to meet the Easter Bunny—Bring your own camera and make a guess as to how many Jelly Beans are in the jar. The field will be divided into the following age groups: Toddlers to age 3, Ages 4-6, ages 7-9, ages 10-12. The Egg Hunt starts Promptly at 1:30 p.m. Please bring your own basket or bag for the hunt! Location and parking: The festivities will take place in the field between Lipscomb Elementary and the library. Please arrive early for best parking. Parking is available at the library, the Brentwood Civitan parking Lot and River Park.
Photos with the Easter Bunny
- Through Sunday, April 9th
- Bass Pro Shop
- Bass Pro Shops in Nashville invites families to celebrate Spring by offering free photos with the Easter Bunny. Families are encouraged to make a free advanced reservation online to receive a free, studio-quality 4×6 color photo. Photo package upgrades will also be available. Bass Pro Shops will offer free bubble wands for participants, while supplies last.
Reservations are recommended and can be made seven days in advance. To learn more and schedule a visit with the Easter Bunny, visit basspro.com/easter.
Behind the Book
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of local students about what inspired me to write This is Nashville and about the writing process! I thought I’d share a little of the backstory with you all too!
Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher and loved children’s books. I collected them for my “one day” classroom. I had meaningful writing experiences along the way too-I won a writing contest at my elementary school, wrote for my high school newspaper and entered other writing competitions. I didn’t realize the impact these opportunities made on me until later.
Fast forward through several years of teaching (I’ve taught 3rd, 4th, 5th grades as well as Math and Reading Intervention), two babies and a lot of life later….our family landed in Nashville, TN. Living in Nashville had been a dream of mine for many years. After lots of prayers and hard work, we finally made it happen! I never anticipated becoming a blogger but it just sort of happened…and I’ve naturally loved sharing about all of my favorite places in and around Nashville.
I wanted to write a book for a few years but kept putting it off. Each January, it would be my goal for the year…and then slowly would fade into the background! However, in January of 2021, I decided to finally made it happen! I took the notes that I had been jotting down for years and put them in a draft, researched illustrators and put together a plan! Once I connected with Candler, we worked on the draft and the images. The process took about 9 months from draft to publish!
It has been such an honor to partner with local businesses, museums and bookstores! I am thrilled to see my books in store, host book signings, school events and ship books all over the country (and one even went to Israel!) I am so thankful for everyone who has purchased a copy, supported my dream and encouraged me in this process! I have also written a children’s coloring book for one of my other favorite towns, Fairhope, Alabama!! Candler and I also have another project in the works for this year!
Order This is Nashville
Order Hello Fairhope
*Where Can You Find This is Nashville Locally*
Music City Shop at Nashville Airport
Music City Shop at Bridgestone Arena
*Upcoming Book Events*
Pop Up with Scraps of Magic x Sweethaven: March 23rd
Drop Everything and Read at Cheekwood: April 15th
Main Street Festival: Signing at Landmark Books, April 22nd
Nashville Spring Break Ideas
Spring Break is just around the corner! If you’re staying in town, save this post for a few ideas for local activities!
- Explore the interactive exhibits and create in the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and then lunch at Assembly Food Hall at Fifth and Broadway
- Go for a hike at Radnor Lake, chase waterfalls at Jackson Falls or Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park
- Make you own pancakes at Pfunky Griddle and then head over to Nashville Zoo
- Take a day trip to Tullahoma and have lunch at Sun Drop Shoppe
- Paint pottery at Third Coast Clay and lunch at Mojo’s at The Factory in Franklin
- Support a local bookstore- Parnassus, Bound Books, Landmark Booksellers, The Nolensville Book Nook
- Stroll through over 250,000 blooms at Cheekwood
- Picnic and play at the park- Fannie Mae Dees, Sevier Park, The Parthenon, Crockett Park, Pinkerton
- Go bowling and play in the arcade at Franklin Entertainment Center
- Hit the ropes course at The Adventure Park