The Weekendist: Party In The USA Edition

It’s another festival weekend in Nashville. Take your pick from the American Artisan Festival, Nashville Pride Festival, or Jazz & Blues Festival… or any other event in between. Here are our top picks for the weekend:

Night Market. Friday, June 17 at the Nashville Farmers Market, 6:30-8:30pm, free. Night Market is like a fine wine, it just gets better with age. Each month is an improvement on the last, with new vendors and the same old favorites whipping up new tricks. Last month, we feasted on mac ‘n cheese from Dan’s Gourmet Spot, cantaloupe agua fresca from El Burrito Mexicano, boozeballs from Fleur de lis Flavors, and sipped on the Bang Candy Co’s delicious homemade syrups mixed with prosecco. Yep, there’s booze at Night Market. This month we’re also looking forward to checking out the Farmers Market’s newest addition, Louisiana Seafood Company.

Full Moon Pickin’ Party. Friday, June 17 at Percy Warner Park’s Equestrian Barn, 2500 Old Hickory Blvd, 7-11pm, $5-20. The Friends of Warner Parks’ monthly Pickin’ Parties are chock full of Nashville summer goodness. While the $20 pricetag may seem steep, it comes with tickets to redeem for four frosty Blue Moon beers. Lay under the stars and listen to the sounds of bluegrass, or bring an approved bluegrass instrument (whatever that means) and join the pickin’ to get in for just $5.

American Artisan FestivalFriday – Sunday, June 17-19 at Centennial Park. Friday 12-7pm, Saturday 10am-7pm and Sunday 10am-6pm, free. 165 of the finest artisans from across the country will set up shop in Centennial Park this weekend for the annual American Artisan Festival, a Father’s Day weekend tradition. Browse the hundreds of artisan handicrafts, grab lunch at one of the food trucks or stands that will be parked at the fest, and stick around for some musical entertainment.

Nashville Pride Festival. Saturday, June 18 at Riverfront Park, 11am-6pm, $5. Come to Riverfront Park this Saturday for a day of celebration with Nashville Pride and nonstop entertainment from morning till night. Three stages feature national and local lineups, including The Worsties, Kat Graham, Jonny McGovern and Kimberly Caldwell.

Jazz & Blues FestivalSaturday, June 18 at Bicentennial Mall, 2pm-12am, $5-10 for seating. The sounds of local jazz and blues musicians will fill the air all afternoon and well into the night at the 11th annual Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival, which is not actually on Jefferson Street anymore (but close!). If you want to get your jazz on before Saturday, head to tonight’s (Friday’s) Bridging the Gap mixer on the Shelby Street Bridge ($10 admission) for tunes from 7pm-midnight.

Musician’s Corner featuring Anna Wilson, Brooke Waggoner and Nathan AngeloSaturday, June 18 at Centennial Park, 3-6pm, free. Musician’s Corner has been hitting homeruns this year with a solid lineup week after week, and this Saturday is no different. Brooke Waggoner is one of our favorite local artists, so we’re jumping at the chance to see her for free along with the rest of the lineup: Anna Wilson, Nathan Angelo, Daniel Bailey, Korby Lenker & Island Fusion. They’ll be on the main lawn again this week, with the usual lineup of food and ice cream vendors ready to fill your bellies with deliciousness.

Nashville Rollergirls vs. The Chicago Outfit. Saturday, June 18 at Municipal Auditorium, 5:30pm, $10-15. The Rollergirls are back at home this weekend and taking on the Chicago Outfit in a doubleheader. Doors open at 4, the first bout gets going at 5:30, and the second bout will get underway at 7:30. A few $10 tickets are still available through today (Friday) at their local ticket vendors, or it’s $15 at the door.

Photo by Paul Nicholson.

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