An Inside Look at CMAfest : Day 6

The CMA Country Music Festival, formally know as Fanfair, or more simply CMAfest. This Annual Nashville Event is sponsored each year by the Country Music Association. We found that this four day country music party unofficially runs close to a week long and so we began our coverage on the Monday before the official opening of the CMAfest and finished over a week later on the following Tuesday. The week's events will normally start out at a good slow pace and built into a frenzy as the week goes along and then slowed back down to a great closing for all.

Day 6- Saturday
Saturday was definitely going to be the busiest day of the CMAfest, but I encountered two small problems; my children, it seems that they wanted to go to "work" with Mom. So I enlisted the help of my husband and guided them all to the Bush's Baked Beans Family Zone. After I dropped my entourage off I went about business and since today was going to be yet another crazy busy day.

• Leadership Music's Yard Sale
  Now it was time to do what most women do best-Go Shopping, so I headed over to the Sommet Center where Leadership Music was having their annual Leadership Music's Music Festival Yard Sale and silent auction. Sadly, I missed bidding on the silent auction items, but I did catch a part of the yard sale. They had tons of items signed by various Country music artists as well as CD's, Photos, Posters, Tour Shirts, key-chains, coffee mugs, bumper stickers and more. Needless to say when I had finished, I had a huge bag full of goodies.
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• Martina McBride's Celebrity Auction
  From there I headed over to the Hall of Fame Park to see what was happening at Martina McBride's Celebrity Auction. Every year the proceeds from the Celebrity Auction go to the YW of Middle Tennessee, a domestic abuse program. Some of the artists helping at the auction were Andy Griggs, Jamie O'Neal, Brad Paisley and Chely Wright. Some of the items being sold; Photo's, CD's, life-size stand ups, Grad Ole Opry Tickets, Hand-written Lyrics, T-shirts, Wrangler Blue jeans, Hats and even books. Most everything was personally autographed by any number of country music artists. There were also plenty of lower ticket items for sale and bid not just items for real deep pockets.
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• John Arthur Martinez Fan Club Party
  Next, I swung by the to catch up with some friends to attend a fan Club party and then off to watch the afternoon shows, which included an awesome set by John Arthur Martinez and later just when Gretchen Wilson was about to take the stage, Nashville was drenched by an afternoon thunderstorm. The show was postponed until the storm had passed. So we headed over to the Hard Rock Café to have a late lunch and then off to home to get rejuvenated for tonight's Coliseum Show.
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• Opry Plaza Party
  While the Opry Plaza Parties, located at the Grand Ole Opry House (near Opryland) last throughout most of the summer, they offer plenty of great music on Friday & Saturday afternoons if you're in the area.They are free too!
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• CMA Closeup Lecture
  The CMA Closeup Lecture is normally held at the Ryman on both Friday and Saturday. These series are an up close discussion series that offer some big time artists to converse in an intimate setting.
  
  

Daily CMAfest Sponsored Activities:

• Saturday Daytime Riverfront Concerts
  The Riverfront Concerts start on Thursday and go on thru Sunday afternoon and provide hours and hours of some of the best music around. The day-long concerts take place in Riverfront Park located on 1st Avenue and Broadway. As a reminder to those who do not have weeklong tickets (passes) to CMAfest, they do sell individual daily passes to this CMAfest event every day.
  
• Saturday Night's Coliseum Show
  The Nightly Concerts at the Coliseum which open up at around 5:30 with concerts starting at 7p.m. There are two stages set up every night and the artist performance would rotate from one stage to the other which shortened the wait time between artists tremendously. Everyone loves the Photo Line, which runs right in front of the stages. During the nightly show there are plenty of drink vendors walking around selling their goods, so no one would have to miss any part of the show. Every evening a grand display of fireworks closed the show and this indicated that it was time for the After Hours Parties to begin in the Downtown District.
  
• Sports Zone
  The Sports Zone offers, of course, everything related to sports within its boundaries that includes: NASCAR, BASS, Baseball, Football and just about everything else. It's located right across from the Hall of Fame Park.
  
• Family Zone
  The Crisco Family Zone, located in the Hall of Fame Park, is just one of the areas that CMA Festival has set up so anyone can take their children and have a fun day out.
  
• Fun Zone
  The Fun Zone at the CMA Festival is located at 1st Avenue and Broadway, right by the Riverfront Park entrance and features some of the CMAfest Sponsors.Sponsors here will change from year to year but you always will have fun in the Fun Zone.
  
• Acoustic Corner
  The Acoustic Corner, located in Exhibit Hall (Convention Center) is a definite must see when attending the CMAfest and a great place to visit, see, and hear new up and coming country artists in a relaxing setting.
  
• Exhibit Hall
  Over the years the Exhibit Hall has always been country music fans favorite activities during Fanfair week with every year hundreds of artists are seen and signing autographs.

CMAfest Highlights By Day

• CMAfest Day 1: Global Artist & Party Lonestar Bowling Party
• CMAfest Day 2: Reading, Writing & Rhythm & IFCO Funfest
• CMAfest Day 3: Kick-Off Parade, Celebrity Softball Game, Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam
• CMAfest Day 4: Official CMAfest Activities Begin, Opry & Steve Azar Benefit
• CMAfest Day 5: CMA Close-up, Andy Griggs Archery & Jason Aldean Benefits
• CMAfest Day 6: CMA Close-up, Martina McBride Celebrity Auction & Leadership Music Yard Sale
• CMAfest Day 7: Sunday Mornin' Country Show & Peterson's Celebrity Tractor Race