March 2015

Springtime sunshine ignites a blast of color on the hills of the Middle Tennessee Area. In the best years, hills can be practically painted white, orange, yellow or purple. Even in lean years, wildflower season offers hikers beautiful reminders of the rhythms of life. The Warner Parks are renowned throughout Tennessee for their lush wildflower carpets and rich biodiversity. You might see dozens of species of flowers on a single walk! These springtime walks vary according to what’s in bloom—covering about 3 miles, at a moderate pace, with frequent stops.

Wildflower season runs primarily from February through June, peaking in mid-April. Virtually every Nashville Area trail will have at least a few blooms popping up through the green grass of the open

Celebrate this day with book themed snacks and art projects in Creation Station at the Discovery Center. Families will also be able to join them for storytime throughout the day. Dress up as your favorite book character and receive $1 off admission to the Murfreesboro Discovery Center!

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD. It decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a

Calling all outdoorsmen, hunters and sportsmen. On Saturday March 28, roll out for a Turkey Shoot and Marksman Competition held at Ebenezer Acres Farm from 10 am to 2 pm. The Grand Prize is a Benelli Shotgun. Additional prizes include a Winchester Model 12, 12 Gauge. Join range master Sherriff Eddie Farris for a day of target competition, a food-plot demonstration, ATV viewing, archery fun shoot, muzzle loader fun shoot and BBQ lunch. Tickets are $25 per person for gate admission and $25 for each Turkey Shoot round.

Proceeds will benefit the Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation’s Heart Fund and Cancer Care Fund in memory of Detective Jerry Dale Abston.

The Venue

Perched atop the picturesque countryside, Ebenezer Farms offers serenity in its

The landscape is laden with colorful eggs -- bright tangerine, pale yellow, sky blue, and in a few rare and thrilling instances, shiny gold. Once the gate opens, it's pure pandemonium. The kids swarm the yard, snapping up the treat-filled eggs as quick as bunnies. 

Attend a free community Easter Egg Huns hosted by the Parks & Recreation Department. Egg Hunts are held at the following locations: Franklin Recreation Complex and Fairview Recreation Complex.  Children ages 10 and younger are invited to hunt for a total of nearly 50,000 candy and plastic eggs. This is a free event. Children should bring their Easter Baskets, and parents should bring their cameras to get pictures of their children with the Easter Bunny.

The Venue

The Franklin

New to yoga or want to refresh on the fundamentals? Join Curvy Yoga Nashville for this 3-week course and learn what you need to practice in other classes with ease. They will cover safe alignment, what props are and how to use them, how yoga benefits your body and life, standard poses you'll see in other classes, and more! Absolutely no yoga experience or flexibility required.   

This class meets for 3 consecutive Saturdays, 9:00-10:00am. If you have a yoga mat, you are welcome to bring it, but the facility will have everything you need. Don't forget to wear clothes you feel comfortable moving in. The teachers are great, and they update their online schedule daily with who the teachers are if there is going to be a sub. There are no mirrors, which I

Join HRC Nashville - Human Rights Campaign as their celebrate their 20th year in the Nashville community. So much has happened in the past year in the area of marriage equality and they are certain Tennessee will soon be added to the long list of states this summer. There is so much more work to be done. Please join them this year for a fun-filled night of celebration, fundraising, community, and love!

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

The View

Experience all that Music

Join Team Green Adventures on this pleasant trail, which follows creeks punctuated with several cascades and climbs ridges, past old mining operations and over several suspension bridges (the largest bridge an impressive 102 feet long!), offering enjoyable vistas all along the way. Never been backpacking before? This is a great trip to get started on, as the hike is a relaxed 8.5 miles over two days!

• Trip Leader: Stephen Bryant
• Difficulty: This is an 8.5-mile backpacking trip on mostly moderate trail with easy sections 
• Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 25th at 3pm, while spots are available
• Group Limit: Limited to 10 participants

The Venue

A National Recreation Trail, the Piney River Trail offers hikers a fascinating array

The annual Frist Center Gala will celebrate the opening of Houghton Hall: Portrait of an English Country House. The black tie event benefits the ongoing educational and outreach programming offered by the Frist Center to the entire community. This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with Houghton Hall.

It showcases the renowned collection of Old Master paintings, porcelain, sculptures, and costume and decorative arts from Houghton Hall, one of England's finest country estates. Houston Hall was built in the early 1700s by Sir Robert Walpole, England's first Prime Minister. Specific highlights include furniture by William Kent, Sevres porcelain, and Garrard silver, as well as family portraits by William Hogarth,

Striking Matches is Sarah Zimmerman and Justin Davis. Their debut album "Nothing But The Silence", helmed by star producer T-Bone Burnett, showcases the engaging harmonies, honest lyrics and innovative guitar playing that have made the duo such a compelling live act.

The album finds a sweet spot at the intersection of country, pop, rock & blues for a raw & rootsy sound that appeals to diverse audiences. Striking Matches has opened for Nashville stars like Vince Gill and Hunter Hayes but also non-country artists like John Hiatt and Train. They've also contributed no less than 9 songs to the ABC hit series Nashville, including two that are on the album - "When The Right One Comes Along" and "Hanging On A Lie." 

The Venue

Grimey's is an independent

We’ve just flipped the calendar into a new year. Is learning something new one of your resolutions? What about giving something back to your community? Being an ambassador for Nashville?

If you’re full of good intentions as we head into 2015, if you’re interested in history or art, if you enjoy talking to people, come join the Docent Training Class and then give of your new knowledge to the thousands of visitors who come to the Parthenon every year. Leading group tours and talking with individual visitors is a rewarding way to share your love of art and history with students, children and adults.

The Parthenon begins a new Docent Training Class on Saturday, January 24th, and is looking for people who are interested in learning more about ancient