The Weekendist: It’s Getting Hot In Here Edition

Morgan Levy

Will the madness ever end? April is packed to overflowing with events every weekend, and we have to admit that we’re a little worn out from the past two weeks. But Nashvillest never stops, so we will continue cramming things into our schedule until we pass out from all the fun. The weather is warm (okay, hot), the rain is gone (for a few days) and the weekend is here (almost) – We can’t really complain.

FRIDAY

  • Miller Made Music Showcase. Mercy Lounge, 9pm, 21+, free. Lightning 100 presents the Miller Made Music Showcase, a free show at the Mercy Lounge tonight featuring Brenn, Umbrella Tree, Shoot The Mountain and Philos. It’s, um, free… so go. We’re guessing that there will be some cheap Miller Lite hanging around!

SATURDAY

  • Art of the Village. Hillsboro Village, 10am-5pm. The annual sidewalk sale in Hillsboro Village, with art, music, and plenty of shopping to go around.
  • Franklin Main Street Festival. 10am-7pm; 12pm-6pm Sunday. One of our annual favorites, the Franklin Main Street Festival showcases amazing handmade goods, delicious food from local vendors, and all day, family friendly entertainment. And this year, they’ve even got a carnival! Over 100,000 visitors are expected, so prepare accordingly.
  • Walden Artisan Market. 9am-5pm; Sunday 11am-4pm. For those ont he East side, the Walden Artisan Market is back for its monthly visit with lots of local, handmade items to peruse and purchase.
  • Steve McNair Foundation Draft Day Party. The Crow’s Nest in Green Hills, 11am-close. A fundraiser by the Steve McNair Foundation for the Books From Birth and Book ‘Em programs, The Crow’s Nest will host giveaways, a silent auction, doorprizes, drink & food specials and special visits from Titans players and mascots. Steve McNair is scheduled to drop in at 3:30pm, and the event is free (but donations are welcomed).
  • Damien Jurado with Laura Gibson. The Basement, 9pm, $10. We’re big fans of Damien Jurado, but we’re not big fans of how crowded The Basement is going to be for this show, so get there early if you’re planning on going. If you’re not familiar with his music, grab the song “Gillian Was A Horse” from Amazon MP3 for free.
  • The World’s Biggest Fish Fry. All weekend, Paris, TN. A mere two hours away in Paris, TN, lies the World’s Biggest Fish Fry. Seriously. Perhaps worth a day trip, though we’re rethinking this recommendation after a vehicle crashed into a crowd of spectators, injuring 16 this afternoon.
  • Dave Matthews Band with Jason Mraz and Robert Earl Keen. Vanderbilt Stadium, 6pm, $39.50-$75.00. Vandy has had some of the biggest names in entertainment on their campus in the past week for Rites of Spring… Yet tomorrow night, they top it all by bringing in Dave Matthews Band. Traffic is sure to be messy, so steer clear of the area if you’re not attending the show.
  • Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. Of course, we can’t forget the Country Music Marathon that will be sprawling all over our city on Saturday. Take a tip from us and check out the road closures for the day.

SUNDAY

  • Nashville (bike) Scavenger Hunt & Poker Run. Beyond The Edge, 11am, free. Teams of 3-5 bicyclists will scramble around town on a photo scavenger hunt for three hours, chasing after 30 items to find or things to do. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike).
  • Benefit 4 The Boro. The Knoll at MTSU, 4pm, free (donations encouraged). 102.9 The Buzz and 102.5 The Party are pitching in to do their part in helping Murfreesboro tornado victims with Benefit 4 The Boro, a benefit show with 100% of the proceeds going to the Murfreesboro Red Cross disaster relief fund.  A bunch of people are playing that we’ve never heard of, but don’t let that stop you!

Photo by rjsdad.