Ms. Cheap's 101 free things to do: music, festivals, outdoors, family fun
"If it's free, it's for me" is my Ms. Cheap mantra.
And with all of the free things to do and see in the Nashville area, it can easily be your money-saving maxim, too.
I'm talking about not paying a single cent to enjoy music, theater, art, history, sports, fitness opportunities, outdoor events, children's activities and more.
And so today I give you "Ms. Cheap's 101 (wonderful) FREE things to do in Middle Tennessee."
Hope you like my list! Numbers 1-29 cover music events, concert series and festivals that won't cost a dime.
Music:
1. The CMA Music Festival hits Nashville every June, and there are four days of great free music, featuring hundreds of artists performing at venues all over downtown in addition to the ticketed nighttime events. www.cmafest.com. There is also a free "Music City Gives Back" outdoor concert that takes place the night before the festival. www.musiccitygivesback.com
2. The famed Bluebird Cafe's early show at 6 or 6:30 p.m. is almost always free, and most Sunday-night writers' nights and Sunday Spotlights do not have a cover charge. www.bluebirdcafe.com or 615-383-1461.
3.Head for the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway. Many, including Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and Robert's Western World, never have a cover charge and have live music night and day. Tootsie's even puts on a free Birthday Bash street party concert every October. nashvilledowntown.com
4. The Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree free live radio show on WSM 650-AM, takes place at midnight most every Saturday at Ernest Tubb Record Shop's Texas Troubadour Theatre, 2416 Music Valley Drive, with at least two artists performing each time. 615-889-2474. http://etrecordshop.com/mj.htm
5. WSM radio also teams up with the Station Inn for a monthly "Station Inn Session" where a featured artist is interviewed and then performs for the live audience and for the radio. www.wsmonline.com/events/station-inn-sessions The Station Inn also has bluegrass jam sessions on most Sunday nights with no cover.stationinn.com or 615- 255-3307
6.Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music offers dozens of free concerts throughout the school year and even provides free valet parking at most. There are also other musical treats like the Vanderbilt Opera Theatre and University Orchestra teaming up for Opera productions. blair.vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-7651
7. The Belmont University School of Music has an impressive lineup of free concerts, including its symphony, the monthly Belmont Camerata concerts and more. www.belmont.edu/music, 615-460-6408.
8. The acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers perform publicly several times a year. The original Jubliee Singers introduced "slave songs" to the world in 1871 and were instrumental in preserving this unique American musical tradition known today as Negro spirituals. www.fisk.edu/campus-life/jubilee-singers
9.Other area colleges and universities have wonderful free music offerings open to the public, too: Lipscomb University (www.lipscomb.edu/music), Trevecca University (trevecca.edu/music) MTSU (www.mtsu.edu/music), and TSU (www.tnstate.edu/music).
10. The Nashville Symphony Summer Community Concert series is a perennial favorite, with six or more outdoor concerts at various Midstate parks in June. These concerts draw thousands of picnickers and music lovers who enjoy a night out with our acclaimed Symphony. The Nashville Symphony also has an "Annual Free Day of Music" in the fall, which is a full day of music from numerous groups including a full Nashville Symphony performance in the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center. www.nashvillesymphony.org or 615-687-6500.
11. The popular Saturday-night Centennial Park Big Band Dances, which include free dance lessons and a full orchestra playing big band music, run June through August in the Event Shelter at Centennial Park. www.nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8440.
12.Nashville Dancin' (formerly Dancin' in the District), the popular Thursday-night downtown concert series, takes place in June and July at Riverfront Park. www.nashvilledancin.com.
13. Metro Parks' Red Caboose Concert Series, featuring live music for families, is held Friday nights in June at Red Caboose Park in Bellevue. Details to come from Metro Parks. www.nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8424.
14.Dragon Music Sundays, organized by the Hillsboro West End Neighborhood Association and Metro Parks, usually take place in May and June at Fannie Mae Dees Park on Blakemore Avenue. Details to come from Metro Parks. 615-862-8400.
15. The family-friendly and dog-friendly Musicians Corner lawn parties take place on Saturday afternoons in May and June and September and October at Centennial Park, with all genres of music, and related children's activities, and lots of food trucks.
16. The Jazz on the Cumberland concert series on the waterfront at Cumberland Park, 592 S. First St., features smooth and traditional jazz on third Sunday evenings in June through October. Details to come. 615-862-8400.
17.Gallatin's Third Thursdays on Main is a series of outdoor concerts held monthly May through October on the Historic Public Square. www.downtowngallatin.com
18. The 60-member Williamson County Community Band and the Nashville Community Concert Band have a number of free concerts indoors and outdoors. For the Williamson County band schedule, see www.wcparksandrec.com/programs/wc-community-band. For the Nashville Community Band lineup, call 615-352-7713 or see www.nashccband.org.
19. Smyrna Parks and Recreation has a monthly summer Music at the Mill concert series at Gregory Mill Park, 390 Enon Springs Road in Smyrna. 615-459-9742, ext. 2622, or www.townofsmyrna.org.
20. The Hendersonville Arts Council has a monthly summer concert series at Monthaven Mansion, 1154 W. Main in Hendersonville, at www.hendersonvillearts.org or 615-822-0789.
21. Several Middle Tennessee wineries offer free outdoor concerts where you can take a picnic, buy a bottle (or not) and enjoy good, live music. Arrington Vineyards in Arrington has a Music In the Vines series of music every Friday and Saturday and Sunday, May through November. 615-459-9742, ext. 2622, or www.arringtonvineyards.com; The Sumner Crest Winery in Portland has concerts about twice a month May through October. 615-325-4086; Beachaven Winery in Clarksville holds its Jazz on the Lawn concert series on scattered Saturday nights May through October. 931-645-8867 or www.beachavenwinery.com.
22.Murfreesboro's Friday Night Live, concert series runs June through September on the historic downtown square. 615-895-1887 or www.downtownmurfreesboro.com.
23.Crockett Park in Brentwood has a popular series of summer Sunday concerts at the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater. 615-371-0060 or www.brentwood-tn.org.
24.Be a part of Trinity Music City's live studio audience at several "Praise the Lord" and other concerts Trinity Music City is in Hendersonville: 615-822-8333 or trinitymusiccity.com.
25. Lightning 100's "Live on the Green" mini music festival series, runs Thursdays in August and September at Public Square Park. Details to come. www.liveonthegreen.net.
26.Nashville Public Library's Courtyard Concerts offer lunchtime music on Tuesdays in late summer and early fall at the main library at 615 Church St. www.library.nashville.org
27.Churches of all denominations all over the Midstate are great sources of wonderful free music. For example, the annual BACH-analia — a free come-and-go six-hour music event where more than 100 musicians celebrate all things Bach — takes place in March in the sanctuary at Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway. First Presbyterian Church also has a good lineup this spring with the Vanderbilt Concert Choir and Nashville Chamber Singers on the calendar.
28.Music for Seniors offers free monthly interactive live performances for seniors at various locations around town. musicforseniors.org
29. Free holiday concerts. A full calendar of holiday concerts includes Merry Tuba Christmas, Nashville Unlimited Christmas concert and lots of other church and community musical offerings. Look for Ms. Cheap's Guide to the Holidays in late November.
SEE THE REST OF THE LIST:
Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282. Follow her at www.tennessean.com/mscheap, at Facebook.com/mscheap and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5's "Talk of the Town."
What Ms. Cheap loves on the free front:
I love that there are so many lovely and easy-to-get-to places to take a good walk or hike — Radnor Lake, Beaman Park, Warner Parks, Centennial Park, Long Hunter, Bells Bend, all the new greenways ... and the list goes on.
I love that there are so many accessible volunteer opportunities through Hands On Nashville and other agencies. Volunteering is one of my favorite things, and I would like to do more of it. Volunteering is free, and you can't spend much money while you are busy on a project.
I love that we can enjoy first-rate free music like the Big Band Dances and Symphony in the Park, Musicians Corner and the free parts of CMA Fest.
I love the fact that our area colleges and universities open so many of their wonderful free concerts and other offerings to the entire community.
And now that I am a grandmother, I love that so many wonderful children's activities are offered to us at no charge from our parks departments, libraries, stores and other places.
And I do love a good tour. So next week, my column will features some wonderful free tours we can take in Middle Tennessee.
See Nashville Mayor Karl Dean's favorites: