An Inside Look at CMAfest : Day 7

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.
We hope that everyone who visited Music City U.S.A. enjoyed themselves and much as we enjoyed welcoming you to the city of Nashville...Ya'll come back, now!

Day 7- Sunday
Sunday Morning we headed downtown for brunch at the Pinnacle, a rotating restaurant located at the top of the Sheraton Hotel. The service at the Pinnacle is always impeccable as is their scrupulous Sunday brunch buffet not to mention they offer a breathtaking View of Nashville. Today we would make our last visits to the Wrangler Exhibit hall, Riverfront & Nightly Shows for the year but we would also try to make a few more events & parties too.

• Buddy Jewell Fan Club Party
  Rocketown, the teen club founded by Christian music recording artist Michael W. Smith, was the scene for the 2005 Buddy Jewell Fan Club Party which took place during the CMA Music Festival and Yes it did include Black Leather, A Silver Hog and even a Biker Babe!
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• CMAfest: A Gathering of Friends
  Making time for friends during CMAfest is always a good thing and so every year we make sure to schedule in some time just to enjoy each others company for at least a few hours. Depending on everyone's schedule we will host a party on either Sunday or Monday just for friends to celebrate CMAfest Week together.
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• Stars for Hope Benefit
  Stars for Hope Benefit is normally held on either the last day of CMAfest or on the Monday night after CMAfest ends and benefits the Mid-South Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America. Their choice of venue will change but we usually attend this benefit every year as it's normally filled with folks from the Nashville Star Reality Show.
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There are several annual events and daily activities that normally take place on Sunday at the CMA Country Music Festival including:

Sunday's CMAfest Annual Events:

• Sunday Mornin' Country Show
  Sunday Mornin Country Show is normally held at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday Morning and benefits the Music City Christian Fellowship, a non-profit organization of Christians who support Christian values in the entertainment industry.
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• Michael Peterson's Celebrity Tractor Race
  Three cones, two towers of stacked bales of hay and Michael Peterson's penalty wielding daughters were all that stood between the celebrity contestants and a win in Peterson's first ever Celebrity Tractor Race sponsored by New Holland Tractors.
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Daily CMAfest Sponsored Activities:

• Sunday's 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.
  
• Sunday 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