Centennial Park holiday photo contest

The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park and The Tennessean asked readers to submit photos of holiday moments in Centennial Park as part of our photo contest. Five photos have been selected as finalists. You can vote for a winner below after reading about each photo. Click on each photo to enlarge it. Voting is open to the public on Tennessean.com through 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 22. The winner will receive a photography session in Centennial Park with professional photographer Juan Pont Lezica, who has done portraits of many prominent Nashvillians, including Demetria Kalodimos and Eddie George.

About the photos:

Centennial Park in 1929

This photo of Martha Ellen Donlon Fitzpatrick with her father, John Donlon, was taken at Centennial Park in 1929. Fitzpatrick was the youngest of five children, and Centennial Park was home to them since they lived on 29th Avenue. "They played there, ice skated there and the boys even slept there in the summers when their attic bedrooms were too hot," said Ruth Bowles, Fitzpatrick's niece.

Centennial Park in 1956

This nighttime photo of the nativity scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park was taken by John L. Zentz, Sr., on Dec. 21, 1956. The original is a 35mm slide which his son, John L. Zentz, Jr., scanned. "Like so many appreciative Nashville residents, my parents would take my sisters and I to town from Old Hickory to see the display almost every Christmas," John L. Zentz, Jr., said. "The beautiful scene and music would transform the cold winter night into a wondrous memory maker. Thank you again, Mr. Harvey."

Centennial Park in 1963

Janice Donnell is the eldest of 3 girls, whose father passed away unexpectedly this spring. She found this photo from 1963 and made a snow globe with it for her father and each of her sisters for last year's Christmas. "This photo is just one of a million wonderful memories we have of our fabulous dad," Donnell said.

Centennial Park in 1978

Back in the 70s when Nashville got big snows, Don McEwen loved to ride around the city with his old 35mm Nikon and take photos, especially at night. When he happened to be in the area of Centennial Park, he thought to get a good shot of the Parthenon "in all of it's glory surrounded by the deep virgin snow. That opportunity doesn't come around very often," he says.

Centennial Park in 2012

This picture is from Dec 12, 2012 when Steve Halbert surprised his wife, Ali, with a proposal in Centennial Park. He wanted to make sure that the Parthenon was in the background so that the couple can always remember that moment when they visit the park or drive by it.