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What iconic Nashville recording studio helped shape the “Nashville Sound” in the late 1950s and 1960s?

CMA Fest Starts Today as Downtown Nashville Shifts Into Full Event Mode

CMA Fest begins today, bringing four days of concerts, fan events, downtown crowds, and extra traffic to the heart of Nashville.

The festival runs June 4–7 across downtown, with daytime activities and free stages around the city and ticketed nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium. For the stadium shows, Nissan Stadium lists parking lots opening at 4:30 p.m., gates opening at 6:30 p.m., and nightly performances beginning at 8 p.m.

For local residents, this is not just a music festival story. It is one of the biggest practical planning weeks of the summer.

Downtown workers, restaurant-goers, rideshare users, hotel guests, and anyone heading near Broadway, Music City Center, the riverfront, or Nissan Stadium should expect heavier traffic, crowded sidewalks, limited parking, and longer wait times. Restaurants and bars are also likely to be busier than usual throughout the weekend.

Even people who are not attending CMA Fest may feel the impact. Road closures, pedestrian traffic, rideshare demand, and event parking can affect commutes and evening plans across downtown and the East Bank.

The upside is that CMA Fest remains one of Nashville’s signature summer events, bringing country music fans from around the country and adding major energy to the city’s tourism and entertainment economy.

The best advice for the weekend is simple: plan ahead. Check road closures before heading downtown, allow extra time, consider rideshare or transit where possible, and make reservations if you are planning to eat near the festival area.

CMA Fest may be a celebration for country music fans, but for Nashville residents, it is also a weekend to move through the city with a little extra patience and a good plan.

CMA Fest free-stage schedules are live

Ranger Station

Founded in 2015 by Steve and Jordan Soderholm, Ranger Station was born when a self-taught perfumer combined two notes no trained nose would think to put together: Leather + Pine, our original best-selling  scent. A decade later, we’re still family-owned,  still proudly hand-making every product in Nashville, Tennessee — and still breaking the rules where we can. Where the traditional fragrance world runs on credentials and gatekeepers, Ranger Station runs on gut instinct, American memory, and the belief that a scent worth wearing shouldn’t just smell good - it should inspire you to Leave Your Trace.

Visit Ranger Station

Clarksville Pike to Honor Sen. Thelma Harper

A stretch of Clarksville Pike in North Nashville will soon carry the name of one of the city’s most influential public servants.

The designated section, running from Buena Vista Pike to Dry Creek Fork Road, is being renamed Sen. Thelma Harper Highway in honor of the late longtime Metro Council member and Tennessee state senator.

A renaming ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Bordeaux Library, giving neighbors, local leaders, and community members a chance to recognize Harper’s legacy.

Harper represented parts of Nashville for decades and was known as a trailblazer in Tennessee politics. She served on Metro Council before becoming the first Black woman elected to the Tennessee Senate, where she represented the Nashville area for many years.

For North Nashville, the renaming is more than a road sign. Clarksville Pike is a familiar corridor for daily commuters, families, churches, schools, and small businesses. Adding Harper’s name to that stretch connects a major local roadway to a civic legacy rooted in representation, service, and community advocacy.

Residents who want to attend should check local event details before heading to Bordeaux Library in case of schedule or parking updates.

Metro Budget Season Continues After Public Hearing

Summer Kickoff at GEODIS Park Adds Another Big June Event Thread

CMA Fest is not the only major event bringing crowds and energy to Nashville this month.

Summer Kickoff at GEODIS Park is adding another layer to the city’s busy June calendar, with a month-long, World Cup-themed celebration centered around soccer, music, culture, and community events.

The event series includes watch parties, concerts, Nashville SC celebrations, and cultural programming tied to the growing excitement around soccer in Music City. For fans, it offers a way to gather around international soccer while also enjoying local food, music, and entertainment.

For residents, the bigger takeaway is practical: June’s event traffic will not be limited to downtown.

While CMA Fest brings major crowds to Broadway, Music City Center, the riverfront, and Nissan Stadium, Summer Kickoff will keep the area around GEODIS Park and Wedgewood-Houston active as well. That could mean more visitors, restaurant traffic, parking demand, and rideshare activity around the stadium on event days.

It is also a reminder of how Nashville’s summer calendar is expanding beyond traditional country music tourism. Soccer has become a major part of the city’s event scene, and GEODIS Park is continuing to grow as a gathering place for sports, concerts, watch parties, and community celebrations.

Readers planning to attend Summer Kickoff events should check the official schedule before heading out and allow extra time for parking, traffic, and crowds near the stadium.

What’s Happening Soon

CMA Fest — June 4–7, downtown Nashville / Nissan Stadium.
The festival includes concerts, fan events, Fan Fair X, and performances across multiple stages. Ticketmaster describes CMA Fest as taking over downtown from Thursday through Sunday, with hundreds of performances across 10 stages

WeGo Star CMA Fest Express — Saturday, June 6.
WeGo will operate a special event train from Lebanon to downtown Nashville for the CMA Fest concert at Nissan Stadium. The train departs Lebanon at 4 p.m., with stops at Hamilton Springs, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, and Donelson before arriving at Riverfront Station at 5 p.m. The return train leaves Riverfront Station one hour after the concert.

Bonnaroo returns next week — full guide coming soon
Bonnaroo returns to Manchester June 11–14, bringing one of Middle Tennessee’s biggest music weekends back to the region. While the festival is outside Nashville, it can still affect 615-area readers through airport traffic, hotel demand, rental cars, rideshares, and heavier travel along I-24 between Nashville and Coffee County.

Movies in the Park — Thursdays in June

Free Movies in the Park returns to Elmington Park, 3531 West End Ave., every Thursday in June. The event is free, with activities starting around 5 p.m. and movies beginning at sundown, usually around 8 p.m. Families can expect food trucks, games, giveaways, and open-captioned family-friendly screenings.

June lineup:
June 4: A Cinderella Story
June 11: Hannah Montana: The Movie
June 18: Zootopia 2

June 25: Back to the Future.

Step Outside: Nashville Parks Offer a Quieter Way to Ease Into Summer

With CMA Fest and big June events filling downtown, Nashville’s parks are offering a calmer way to enjoy the week.

Several outdoor events are coming up for readers who want fresh air, nature, music, or a slower-paced family outing without fighting the biggest city crowds.

At Radnor Lake State Park, National Trails Day brings a Beginning Birder Hike on Friday, June 5, from 7–9 a.m. It is a good early-morning option for anyone who wants to learn more about local birds, enjoy wildlife, and spend time on one of Nashville’s most beloved natural areas.

For a more relaxed evening plan, Beaman Park Nature Center has Sunset Yoga listed for Thursday, June 4, from 5:30–7 p.m. It offers a peaceful outdoor alternative for readers who want to unwind before the weekend.

Music fans who still want an outdoor setting can look to Percy Warner Park, where the Full Moon Pickin’ Party is scheduled for Friday, June 5, from 6–10 p.m. The event brings bluegrass, food trucks, and pickin’ circles to one of Nashville’s most scenic park spaces.

Families can also plan ahead for Warner Park Nature Center’s Family Lantern Hike on Tuesday, June 9, from 7:30–8:30 p.m. The evening hike gives kids and adults a chance to experience the park after sunset in a guided, family-friendly setting.

Together, the events offer a useful reminder: summer in Nashville does not have to mean only crowded streets and packed venues. Sometimes the best plan is a trail, a blanket, a sunset, or a quiet walk through the trees.

Readers should check each park or event page before heading out for registration details, weather updates, and any schedule changes.

Quote Of The Day

"Music City never sleeps, it just tunes up."

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge

Before Lower Broadway became a neon-soaked destination for visitors from around the world, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge was already part of Nashville legend.

The purple honky-tonk sits just steps from the Ryman Auditorium, a location that helped turn it into one of Music City’s most famous after-show hangouts. In the early days, performers from the Grand Ole Opry were known to slip over from the Ryman between sets, making Tootsie’s a gathering place for singers, songwriters, musicians, and fans who never quite knew who might walk through the door.

The lounge became Tootsie’s in 1960, when Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess bought the bar and gave it the personality that still defines it today. Over the years, the venue became associated with names that now fill country music history books, including Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Roger Miller, and many more.

Part of Tootsie’s magic has always been its unpredictability. It was not just a stage. It was a place where songs, stories, friendships, and surprise appearances could happen in real time. For generations of musicians, it represented the dream of Nashville: play your song, meet the right person, and maybe find yourself one step closer to the Opry, a record deal, or a lifelong career in music.

Today, Tootsie’s is one of the most photographed spots in Nashville, but its appeal is deeper than the purple paint and bright lights. It remains a reminder that Music City was built not only in recording studios and arena shows, but in small rooms where working musicians played for tips, writers traded ideas, and legends sometimes stood just a few feet from the crowd.

For longtime locals, Tootsie’s is a piece of downtown history. For newcomers, it is a gateway into the older Nashville story hiding behind the modern Broadway energy.

And for anyone walking past that purple storefront this week, it is worth remembering: some of the biggest names in country music once came through those doors before the world knew their names.

CMA Fest’s Local Impact Goes Beyond Tourism: It Also Supports Music Education

When CMA Fest takes over downtown Nashville this week, most of the attention will naturally go to the crowds, concerts, road closures, and star-packed stages. But the festival also carries a quieter local story: it helps support music education.

The Country Music Association says a portion of CMA Fest proceeds supports the CMA Foundation, the organization’s nonprofit arm focused on expanding access to quality music education for students and helping educators build strong, sustainable music programs. The foundation, launched in 2011, is marking 15 years of investment in music education in 2026.

That gives CMA Fest a broader meaning for Nashville. The festival is one of the city’s biggest annual tourism moments, bringing visitors downtown and filling hotels, restaurants, stages, and sidewalks. But it is also tied to the next generation of musicians, teachers, and students — the very people who help keep Nashville’s music identity alive beyond one festival weekend.

This year’s music-education connection will be visible onstage, too. CMA says RePublic High School’s marching band will help open the festival on Thursday, June 4, as part of Russell Dickerson’s Riverfront Stage set. The performance follows a CMA Foundation partnership with the school to expand music education and performance opportunities for students.

Inside Fan Fair X, CMA Fest will also include several give-back features connected to the foundation, including “Shop For Good” vendors, CMA Fest merchandise with a portion of proceeds supporting the foundation, artist closet sales, an auction, and a hands-on Musical Petting Zoo designed to introduce fans and families to instruments.

For local readers, the takeaway is simple: CMA Fest is not only a major entertainment and tourism event. It is also part of Nashville’s music-education ecosystem.

That matters in a city where music is often discussed as an industry, a brand, or a visitor attraction. Through the CMA Foundation, the festival also points back toward classrooms, band rooms, teachers, and students — the places where many musical lives begin.

For Nashville families, educators, and music fans, that makes CMA Fest more than a busy week downtown. It is a reminder that Music City’s future depends not just on who performs on the biggest stages, but on who gets the chance to pick up an instrument in the first place.

Pick a Local Farmers Market This Weekend

Summer is a great time to make a farmers market part of your weekend routine.

Across Middle Tennessee, local markets are filling up with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, meats, eggs, handmade items, food trucks, and small-business vendors. Whether you are shopping for the week or just looking for an easy Saturday morning outing, a farmers market is one of the simplest ways to support local growers and makers.

This weekend, consider choosing one market near you and buying something Tennessee-grown or locally made. It could be tomatoes, peaches, honey, coffee, bread, cut flowers, salsa, soap, or a treat from a neighborhood bakery.

One easy save-the-date option is Nashville Farmers’ Market Summer Fest on June 14. The free, family-friendly event is expected to include fresh produce, live music, kids’ activities, food trucks, vendor specials, and free parking, making it a simple downtown outing for families and market shoppers.

Farmers markets are also a good low-pressure summer plan for families, newcomers, and weekend explorers. You can walk around, meet local vendors, grab breakfast or coffee, and get a better feel for the community.

Before heading out, check your market’s hours, vendor list, and event details, since schedules can vary by location and weather. Then bring a tote bag, arrive early for the best selection, and enjoy a simple way to shop local this summer.

Interesting Facts

CMA Fest Road Closures Continue Through Next Week in Downtown Nashville

CMA Fest is underway, and even Nashville residents who are not attending the festival may feel the impact downtown.

Road closures and lane restrictions are already affecting parts of the downtown core, with traffic impacts expected to continue through Tuesday, June 9. The closures are tied to festival setup, concerts, fan events, pedestrian traffic, and activity around the main CMA Fest zones.

Drivers should expect extra congestion around Broadway, 1st Avenue, Demonbreun Street, the riverfront, Music City Center, Nissan Stadium, and the East Bank. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge area is also expected to be busier than usual as fans move between downtown and the stadium.

For locals, this is not just an event notice. It is a planning issue.

Downtown workers, restaurant guests, hotel visitors, rideshare users, and anyone heading to appointments, parking garages, or evening plans near the festival footprint should build in extra time. Some routes may change by day or time, and traffic can be especially heavy before and after Nissan Stadium concerts.

Anyone who does not need to drive directly downtown may want to consider avoiding the festival area during peak hours, using alternate routes, or planning for rideshare drop-off and pickup locations away from the busiest streets.

CMA Fest brings major energy and visitors to Nashville, but it also changes how the city moves for several days. Before heading out, residents should check the latest road closure updates, parking guidance, and event traffic advisories so they are not surprised by a blocked street or longer commute.

Have a local event coming up?

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The answer RCA Studio B, originally known as RCA Victor Studio.

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