TN Renaissance Festival

4:01 pm | Thursday, Apr 21st

Festivals in Tennessee

Travel back to 16th Century England. Our Village of Covington Glen comes alive with the bustle of a Renaissance Marketplace. Over 60 skilled Artisans from all over the country display their wares from silks to swords; from gems to jewels. Flavors, aromas and tastes of specialty foods and drinks greet the festival-goer. Hear the sounds of Renaissance musicians and merrymakers as they echo through the trees. Color, movement, and peals of laughter welcome those who thrill to the challenges of Games of Skill and Man-Powered Rides. Come join us at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival!

Visit Castle Gwynn at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, Nashville’s premier historical entertainment event!

2016 Running Dates
May 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, plus Memorial Day May 30!
Hours: 10am – 6:00pm

Free parking, and free admission for children 5 and under!

Order your tickets online:
Advance Tickets are now available!
Order now and your tickets will be mailed right to your door, or waiting for you at Will Call for when you arrive at the festival.

Just added!
The Daily Entertainment Schedule is now available online!

Group Sales:
The Tennessee Renaissance Festival offers discount admission tickets for groups of 15 adults or more. Inquire for more details by emailing us at info@tnrenfest.com or calling our office at (615) 395-9950. The deadline for Advanced Group Ticket Sales is April 15th. Group Discount Rates are available only by advance order, and are not available at the Festival Grounds Ticket Sales Booth.

Location:
Located off Highway 96 between the towns of Franklin and Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Renaissance Festival is easily accessible from I-24, I-65, and I-840, just 25 miles south of Nashville. The festival address is 2124 New Castle Road, Arrington, TN, 37014

Main Street Festival 2016

8:37 pm | Thursday, Mar 31st

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Main Street Festival in Franklin, TN, Downtown Franklin restaurants, shopping, kids activities and family events.

Spring is back, and so is the Heritage Foundation’s Main Street Festival, presented by First Tennessee. The free popular spring celebration returns April 23-24, 2016, to downtown Franklin and is expected to draw a crowd of about 120,000 to historic Main Street for a fun-filled weekend of music, arts and crafts, food, and children’s activities.

“We’re very excited to present the 33^rd annual Main Street Festival,” said Heritage Foundation Executive Director Mary Pearce. “Main Street Festival is one of Franklin’s favorite spring traditions and we’re thrilled to showcase our beautiful historic district and Main Street. We are so grateful to First Tennessee for their longstanding support of Main Street Festival. We would not be able to produce free street festivals in Franklin without the generous support of our sponsors.”

This year, live music will take place on two stages: The XFINITY Stage on the Public Square and The Guitar Center Stage on the corner of First Avenue and Main Street. A performance schedule is available on the Main Street Festival event page at HistoricFranklin.com. Franklin’s own Daphne and the Mystery Machines will headline a Saturday night performance on the Guitar Center Stage at 7 p.m. A lucky attendee will have a chance to win a $150 gift card to Guitar Center at the performance. Visit www.Facebook.com/ HistoricFranklin to enter this contest.

New to 2016, Centricity Music and WAY-FM will feature artists JJ Weeks and David Dunn leading worship for the first ever “Worship on the Square.” This event begins at 10:45 a.m. Sunday on the XFINITY Stage at the Public Square.

The King Arthur Bake Truck will make an appearance this year next to the XFINITY Stage at the Public Square handing out homemade cookies and collecting donations for the Heritage Foundation. “Who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie?” asked Pearce. “What better way to contribute to our organization than with the incentive of a fresh baked cookie in return?”

Three photo opportunities on the Public Square give attendees a chance to capture and share spring photos. Third Avenue South will offer a kids’ zone with a variety of inflatables, train and pony rides, a petting zoo and other activities for a small fee.

The centerpiece of Main Street Festival is the juried arts and crafts show featuring more than 150 artisans and crafters with handmade wares. Vendors will feature jewelry, pottery, furniture, woodworking, leatherwork, photography and more from First to Fifth Avenues.

No street festival is complete without food. This year, more than twenty-five vendors will offer an international assortment of food including original corn roast, barbeque, Greek food, Mexican cuisine, Italian ice and old fashioned soda located at two food courts on Third Avenue North and Fourth Avenue South. A French food truck and grass-fed organic food truck will join the lineup for the first time this year. And as always, kettle corn, hot dogs, and funnel cakes will be offered. Also, a beer garden located down Fourth Avenue South will feature a variety of beer and wine selections.

Offsite parking will be available at Church of the City and Harlinsdale Farm on Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and at Franklin High School and Harlinsdale Farm on Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Shuttles will service each location for $1 each way/ each person.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County and its division, the Downtown Franklin Association, and their missions, respectively: to protect and preserve the architectural, geographical and cultural heritage of Franklin and Williamson County, and to promote the ongoing economic revitalization of Downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation.

Main Street Festival activities will run Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 24, 11 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

For more information on the event call 615-591-8500 or email Abby Williams at awilliams@historicfranklin.com.

Gigi Lazenby to Serve as Honorary Co-Chair

8:09 pm | Thursday, Mar 31st

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The Iroquois Steeplechase and its 501(c)3 organization, the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation (VSHF), have selected Virginia “Gigi” Lazenby of Nashville as its 2016 honorary co-chair of the 75th Iroquois Steeplechase to be held May 14.

An oil and gas executive — as well as a horse owner herself — Lazenby was nominated to represent the premier spring race in American Steeplechasing for her lifelong dedication to the sport. As a current member of the organization’s race committee and board member of the National Steeplechase Association, she is part of a team that is helping ensure that the Iroquois’s diamond anniversary is a successful one.

“Gigi and her family have made a major impact on not only the American equestrian community, but also on the Iroquois Steeplechase and the significance it has to Nashville today,” said Dwight Hall, chairman of the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation. “I’ve worked with Gigi for years, and I know that her passion for the sport makes her the ideal representative for our organization.”

Lazenby and her family have a storied history with the Iroquois Steeplechase: her father worked for Mason Houghland, one of the initial founders of the “Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941,” and eventually became the secretary of the VSHF. Lazenby grew up around the Iroquois, and was lifelong friends with the likes of Henry Hooker — chairman of the race committee for 17 years — and George Sloan, an amateur jockey whose father, John, was also a co-founder of the Iroquois. Lazenby’s brother, David, was also a trainer and former jockey.

In short, Lazenby’s story is intimately intertwined with the equestrian and fox-hunting community. She believes the same could be said for Nashville and the Iroquois Steeplechase.

“I believe that the Iroquois is part of Nashville’s roots. Every city — no matter how big and diversified it becomes — have certain traditions that become the fabric of that city. The Iroquois is one of those events,” Gigi Lazenby said. “For me steeplechasing is a family tradition, that my husband [Ted] and I enjoy together. But even if you don’t know anything about horses, it’s fun: you throw your pick in a hat, you have a little friendly competition, and you enjoy the day in the company of others. That’s what life is all about.”

For nearly eight decades, the Iroquois Steeplechase has captivated thousands of spectators from near and far with its traditions, pageantry and the energy of the sport. For 35 of those years, patrons of the race and its Horsemen’s Foundation have also supported the event’s official beneficiary: the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

“When many of our race-day attendees think of the Iroquois, it’s all about the social scene. And that’s great. But at the core of the day, it’s about something bigger, and that’s the young ones who are being served by the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,” Lazenby said. “We are proud that the Nashville community has helped the Iroquois give more than $10 million to their cause to date.”

A native of Nashville and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Lazenby is the CEO of Bretagne LLC, an oil and gas production company she founded in 1988. She currently serves on the National Petroleum Council (NPC), an appointment made by the Secretary of Energy. She served as the chairman of The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) — a Washington, D.C.-based national association that has represented America’s 6,000 independent oil and gas producers — from 2011 to 2013, and recently rolled off the board of directors at the American Petroleum Institute (API).

For more information about the Iroquois Steeplechase, its 75th anniversary and its relationship with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.com.

MORE ABOUT THE IROQUOIS STEEPLECHASE

This iconic sporting event has been Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941, attracting more than 25,000 spectators to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a three-mile turf track. Held the second Saturday of each May at Percy Warner Park, the Iroquois Steeplechase is Music City’s annual celebration of time-honored traditions, Tennessee hospitality and Southern fashions.

Those who attend enjoy areas for families, well-appointed tents and individually organized tailgates where the emphasis is on race day pickings, larger-than-life hats, Honey Jack Juleps and crowd-pleasing recipes. More importantly, guests support a cause at the heart of the event: Since being designated as the official charity in 1981, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $10 million from Iroquois Steeplechase proceeds. For more information, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.

Georgia Author of the Year Award Winner

3:10 pm | Tuesday, Mar 15th

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Oaklands Mansion is excited to welcome celebrated author, Georgia Author of the Year award winner, and former Middle Tennessee State University professor Dr. June Hall McCash on April 15, 2016, at 5:00pm and 6:00pm as she speaks about her latest historical fiction The Boys of Shiloh. A novel originally intended for younger readers, which holds a much more varied appeal to all audiences than Dr. McCash ever realized it would. We hope you will join us at the mansion to hear her read and discuss her new novel.

“This book, a work of fiction based on the actual battle of Shiloh in 1862, was conceived after a trip to Shiloh battlefield with one of my grandsons when he was about ten years old,” said author Dr. June Hall McCash. “He was a freshman in college by the time this book was published, which may give readers some idea of how long some of my books percolate before they become a reality.”

The Boys of Shiloh explores the Civil War through the eyes of two thirteen-year-old boys, who meet for the first time the day before a deadly, two-day battle in Tennessee and develop an unusual connection. In light of the theme of Dr. McCash’s book, Oaklands Mansion will also feature a special never before seen collection of artifacts pertaining to battles fought in Tennessee during the Civil War.

Please join us at Oaklands Mansion for this exciting event on Friday April 15th. Seatings will be held at 5:00pm and 6:00pm. Oaklands Mansion is located at 900 North Maney Avenue just off the historic Square in Murfreesboro. Space is limited, therefore reservations are required. Please call (615) 893-0022 to secure your spot today. Tickets are available for $15 per person which includes light refreshments.

Oaklands Mansion is nestled in Oaklands Park, a native tree arboretum and natural wetlands, which includes Maney Spring as well as heritage and native gardens. Oaklands Visitors Center houses a gift shop and Maney Reception Hall for special events and temporary exhibitions. Oaklands Mansion is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00AM – 4:00PM and Sundays 1:00PM – 4:00PM. For more information visit www.OaklandsMansion.org

The Irish Tenors

3:07 pm | Tuesday, Mar 15th

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Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at the Schermerhorn with the Irish Tenors on Thursday, March 17, at 7 pm with the party at 6 pm.
Friday & Saturday, March 18 & 19, at 8 pm | Party at 7 pm
Tickets from only $25Your Nashville Symphony and the world’s leading Irish tenor group perform beloved tunes from the Emerald Isle, including:

• Only Our Rivers Run Free
• Whiskey in the Jar
• The Minstrel Boy

• The Irish Rover
• Danny Boy
• & more

Come Early for the St. Paddy’s Day Party

• Irish Dancing & Music in the Lobbies
• Irish Beer & Whiskey, and Baileys Irish Cream
• Irish Fare at the Cherry Street Eatery & Sweetery

BUY TICKETS: Call the Box Office at 615.687.6400, visit us at One Symphony Place in downtown Nashville or buy online at NashvilleSymphony.org/IrishTenors.

Leadership Franklin is Accepting Applications

2:58 pm | Tuesday, Mar 15th

Living

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Leadership Franklin has announced that applications are now being accepted for its twenty-first class, 2016-2017. Completed applications are due on or before May 16, 2016.

Applications may be downloaded at www.leadershipfranklin.org. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to Paula Harris, Executive Director, at 615.252.4312 (paula.harris@bwsc.net) or Debbie Henry, Associate Director, at 615.628.0264 (dhenry@tmagroup.org).

Leadership Franklin is a non-profit community leadership organization dedicated to educating, informing and empowering leaders to improve the quality of life in Franklin and Williamson County. Participants meet once per month for eight months, for a series of classes aimed at presenting and analyzing a particularly important segment of the community. Classes focus on the areas of history, government, business, law enforcement, media, education and quality of life.

Each year’s class is divided into four groups who develop a class project to be presented on graduation day. Recent class projects include Historic Toussaint L’Overture Cemetery Cell Phone Audio Walking Tour, Stock the Store at the Franklin Housing Authority, Where’s Bucky and Bonnie promotion of the Franklin Park System and the Williamson County Public Library and working with a class at Renaissance High School.

Participants are chosen each year based on a commitment to the community, previous participation in the community, civic, or professional organizations, and demonstrated leadership in current or previous positions.

Leadership Franklin is a non-profit organization to develop leadership and community engagement and further a vision for Franklin and Williamson County. For more information about the organization, visit www.leadershipfranklin.org.

Iroquois Steeplechase celebrates 75 years

2:41 am | Tuesday, Feb 23rd

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Nashville’s Rite of Spring Since 1941 Reaches Milestone, Celebrates Traditions

The Iroquois Steeplechase has been Nashville’s rite of spring since 1941, attracting more than 25,000 spectators to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a three-mile turf track. Held the second Saturday of May each year at Percy Warner Park, May 14, 2016, will mark 75 years for the Iroquois Steeplechase and more than seven decades of Music City’s annual celebration of time-honored traditions, Tennessee hospitality and Southern fashions.

Those who attend the event enjoy areas for families, well-appointed tents and individually organized tailgates where the emphasis is on race day pickings, larger-than-life hats, Honey Jack Juleps and crowd-pleasing recipes. More importantly, guests support a cause at the heart of the event: Since being designated as the official charity in 1981, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has received more than $10 million from Iroquois Steeplechase proceeds.

In addition, the Iroquois Steeplechase has partnered with the world-famous Cheltenham Racecourse in England to offer a $500,000 bonus challenge to any horse that can win both the Group 1 World Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and the 75th Anniversary Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes in May–or vice versa–within a 12‐month period. The Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge was coordinate with the 75th anniversary in mind, and looks to reignite the cross‐Atlantic rivalry that has been a part of steeplechase racing through history.

Tickets to the 75th Iroquois Steeplechasea are now on sale, and range from $20 general admission tickets and $100 tailgating singles to luxurious VIP packages that scale in price. For more information on the 75th anniversary or to reserve a space, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org.

WHO: Iroquois Steeplechase and the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation

WHAT: 75th Iroquois Steeplechase

WHEN: May 14, 2016 | Gates open at 8 a.m.; First race begins at 1 p.m.; Last race ends at approx. 4:45 p.m. with the featured race, The Calvin Houghland Iroquois.

WHERE: Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee | 2500 Old Hickory Blvd.

COST: Tickets range from $20 general admission tickets and $100 tailgating armbands to

luxurious VIP packages that scale in price. For more information or to reserve a space, go to www.iroquoissteeplechase.org/tickets. For more information, call 615-591-2991.

Citizen’s Fire Academy

2:56 am | Monday, Feb 15th

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Have you always wanted to try out the “Jaws of Life,” break down a door, ride in a platform at the top of a 100’ aerial ladder truck, or put the “wet stuff on the red stuff?” Then the Franklin Fire Department’s Citizens’ Fire Academy is for you!

During this eight-week, hands-on program, participants ride along on fire calls and fire inspections, learn how to operate hose lines and other fire equipment, perform vehicle extrication, search and rescue, learn CPR and ride in a platform at the top of a ladder truck. Live firefighting is the course finale, where participants use all of the knowledge and skills they’ve learned to extinguish fires and get everyone out of the building safely.

Created in 2007, the program is offered to people who live and work in Franklin. It is limited to 12 participants, who must be at least 21 years of age and commit to attending seven of the eight classes. The group meets on Thursday evenings from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Franklin Fire Training Center on Century Court. There is no cost for the program. To submit an application please CLICK HERE. For more information call 615-791-3270, or email Franklin Fire Engineer Richard Hasley at richardh@franklintn.gov.

For more details please contact the Franklin Fire Department at (615) 791-3270 or email one of our coordinators:

Lieutenant Jonathan Gill – jonathang@franklintn.gov
Engineer Richard Hasley – richardh@franklintn.gov

Main Street Brewfest Moves to May

2:35 am | Monday, Feb 15th

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Festival Rebrands, Moves To Warmer Weather To Offer New Craft Beer Experience

For more than a decade, the Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) has provided beer lovers a taste of some of the best local, national and international brands during its annual Main Street Brewfest. This year, the event is moving its festivities to Saturday, May 7, so that attendees can enjoy warmer weather and a whole afternoon dedicated to 50-plus craft beers.

Presented by Lipman Brothers, the event will also debut new VIP options, in addition to extended tasting times and live music. Capitalizing on the natural backdrop of Historic Downtown Franklin, dozens of tasting sites will line Main Street from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and event organizers promise a focused emphasis on the latest craft brew product and a spotlight on Williamson County’s microbrewery market.

“From rebranding our look to changing the date and time, we couldn’t be more excited for what Brewfest is going to bring to ‘America’s Favorite Main Street’ this year,” said Kristy Williams, director of the Downtown Franklin Association, a subsidiary of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County. “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience for our friends, and believe the changes we’ve made to this year’s event will add another dimension to the Brewfest everyone has look forward to each Spring.”

In addition to the array of local, national and international craft beers that will be available for tasting in the city’s historic core, festival-goers will also have the opportunity to purchase a VIP ticket that will provide an elevated experience unlike any Brewfest has offered in the past. Those ticket buyers will have access to an exclusive area offering food, wine, a specialty cocktail and additional craft beer that won’t be offered to general admission, plus a VIP lounge at JJ’s Wine Bar and a 30-minute head start at tasting sites.

Leading the event this year is Tyler Crowell of Corsair Distillery and Claire Marshall. Crowell of A. Marshall Family Foods Inc., who will serve as the 2016 Brewfest chairs and collaborate with Lipman Brothers in hand-picking this year’s beer selections. As Franklin residents and community activists, the Crowells’ combined industry experience and insight into the world of craft beer is expected to add another layer of sophistication to the event. The pair, assisted by co-chair Julie Walton Garland of Walton’s Antique and Estate Jewelry, will lead a committee of dedicated volunteers who produce the event each year.

“We’ve really thought through how to make this Brewfest a first-rate festival that outshines the rest, and I think the difference will be noticeable,” Crowell said. “It’s all about showcasing the best of the best in craft beer this year and we’re excited to be working closely with Lipman Brothers to select a diverse sampling from craft breweries, both local and abroad. I expect this to be our best year yet.”

Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic at 5 a.m. and the public is welcome, but only ticket-holders will be able to participate in the beer tasting. In addition to the camaraderie and beer found on “America’s Favorite Main Street,” participants can also expect live music and food vendors along the avenues, to add to the festival-like atmosphere.

“There’s something unique about downtown Franklin, and Brewfest is just another one of those things that makes this place special,” Garland said. “Each year, the event provides a fun way to encourage participants to explore our retail district, shop at local stores and eat at downtown restaurants, and we want to ensure it’s a high-quality festival that people can enjoy in a safe and family-friendly atmosphere. ”

General admission tickets are $55 and VIP tickets are $85, and both can be purchased online at downtownfranklintn.com/brew-fest. To encourage a better flow of traffic, ticket-holders will check in at City Hall to get a site map, a description of the beers and a complimentary tasting glass.

Attendees are also encouraged to arrange safe rides to and from Brewfest, and will be provided with multiple options for doing so. The Franklin Transit Authority is offering round-trip transportation to and from locations inside Franklin city limits for a $6 fee. To reserve a ride, call (615) 628-0263 or email twilighttodd@tmagroup.org. In addition, we’ve partnered with Lyft ridesharing service who will be offering a 10% discount to existing users who use the code TAPHISTORY10.

Those looking to extend their stay can find hotels available by visiting www.visitfranklin.com–but in order to take advantage of the trolley, the hotel must be within the Franklin city limits. The Drury Plaza Hotel in Cool Springs will also be offering special room rates and shuttle service for festival-goers who call and request reservations using group #2270197.

Franklin’s Main Street Brew Fest is produced by the Downtown Franklin Association, a nationally accredited Main Street Program and a division of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. Proceeds from the event go to the continued revitalization and promotion of the historic district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and designated by the National Trust as a Great American Main Street and a Preserve America community. To learn more, visit www.DowntownFranklinTn.com.

Movie Makers

9:00 am | Saturday, Feb 13th

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February 13 & 20: Movie Makers

Attention all gamers, ages 10-17: Learn how to film, direct and edit your own movie in this two-day course. The course meets two Saturdays, February 13 and 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Franklin Recreation Complex, 1120 Hillsboro Rd. Register on-line at www.wcparksandrec.com (registration code: 5949). $150 per student.

Does your kid love computers? Williamson County Parks and Recreation (WCPR) has computer skills camps in Franklin in February and March (during Spring Break) to spawn creativity and teach new skills. Computer skills camps are taught by the knowledgeable staff of Youth Tech, Inc. All supplies are provided, including laptops. For more information about Youth Tech, Inc., go to www.youthtechinc.com, or call 877-984-2267.