The 2019 Music Issue Is On the Way!
Just a quick reminder that The East Nashvillian’s annual Music Issue is coming up in September, and it’s not too late to get your ad in the keepsake issue that brings the stories of the Music City to life! Check out last year’s Music Issue and contact sales@theeasnashvillian.com today to get your ad in the 2019 edition!
Take Time for Tomato (Art Fest, That Is!)
This weekend is East Nashville’s biggest party of the year, the annual Tomato Art Fest! Whether you’re an Amish Rose, Arkansas Traveler, Black Cherry, Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, Indigo Rose, Yellow Tasteful, or Early Girl, you are welcome at the festival that celebrates “A uniter. Not a divider. Bringing together fruits and vegetables!”
The fun kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. and continues on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the Tomato Art Fest Push, Pull & Wear Parade. For a complete schedule, map, and more, check out our official Sweet 16 Tomato Art Fest Event & Activities Guide!
“Let’s Eat!” at the Tennessee State Museum
If the Tomato Art Fest makes you feel a bit peckish, the new Tennessee State Museum exhibit, Let’s Eat! Origins and Evolutions of Tennessee Food will put you in the mood for full five-course meal. Opening this weekend, Let’s Eat!, is fascinating journey through the history of Tennessee food culture beginning with the cuisine of the state’s native Americans; classic Southern and African-American contributions like cornbread, barbecue, hot chicken, country ham, and fried catfish; and a special look at the many contributions of immigrant communities to the cuisine of the Volunteer State.
Let’s Eat! opens on Friday, Aug. 9, 2019 and runs through Feb. 2, 2020. The Tennessee State Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and events, visit tnmuseum.org.
Explore! Community School Opens in Cayce Homes Neighborhood
While children all over Davidson Country began their new school year this week, a group of East Side students returned to the classroom in a brand new building. The new Explore! Community School facility at 711 S. Seventh St., opened for classes this week in the heart of Cayce Homes.
Operated by the anti-poverty non-profit Martha O’Bryan Center, The Explore! Community School is a project-based charter school and the next step in the Envision Cayce project, designed to dramatically transform the mixed-income neighborhood. The new three-story facility rang in the school year with approximately 500 students in grades K-4. Launched in 2015 with a kindergarten-only program, Explore! Community School has been adding grades each year, and will continue do so, eventually operating as K-8 school. For more information, visit explorecommunityschool.com.
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Quick Bits
- The Dive Motel and Swim Club (as featured in last week’s newsletter) held a soft opening last weekend. Annual swim club memberships are now available for $365, monthly passes for $95, and daily passes will soon be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, visit their website.
- The makeover of East Side favorite Edgefield Sports Bar & Grill recently began at 921 Woodland St. Michael McIlroy, Sam Ross, and Brandon Bramhall (owners of the nearby cocktail bar Attaboy) recently purchased the lease to the venerable Nashville watering hole from longtime owner Charlie “Buzz” Edens. The trio promised minor improvements to the building and say the new Edgefield will retain the same welcoming atmosphere. For a history of this East Side institution, check out the History Channeled story from our November | December 2018 issue.
- An East Side narrative that’s become all too common: NewsChannel5 reported this week that the popular Riverside Drive cat café, The Catio, is in peril due to sharp rent increases. According to Catio owner Anna Talaga, the business’ rent recently increased 25 percent to $5,000 per month for the 1,800 square foot space. Visit The Catio’s website at cationashville.com.
- A new, four-story housing and retail complex is planned for the former Mrs. Winners Chicken and Biscuits site at 826 Dickerson Pike, according to the Nashville Post. The proposed development calls for retail on the ground floor, 36 residential units on the upper stories, and a pool, deck, bocce court, and restaurant on the rooftop. The property is currently owned 37Urban but is under contract to be sold to an unnamed development company.
