Nashville Shakespeare Festival

I enjoyed the outing. It kept me entertained for a few hours in the afternoon to say the least.
I walked through my main excitement was talking to the different solar panel dealers from the area. There were 3 or 4 different companies there all ready to convince you to go solar and how to do it.
Not sure if it is the most earth friendly way to get around but Piedmont natural gas has set up a booth with some employees more than willing to share about their natural gas powered car. Interesting to say the least.
Having a few garden booths was neat, though I was disappointed in the lack of local recycling companies present or useful information for recycling collection and drop off points for the area.
A mix of food trucks showed up to give you plenty of decent options if you felt hungry and I thought it was pretty neat they had a person station at each grouping of recycling/​trash bins to show you the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to divide up your garbage.
Even better since it was out in the park I could put the dog on a leash and bring him along.
Echoeing another review though I did have to note how much all the activity was destroying the nice park grass.

review of friday (august 24, 2012)‘s performance of Much Ado About Nothing.
what a show! i found myself laughing out loud and clapping spontaneously. very well-​acted and directed, and flawlessly delivered.
the talent which came together to produce this version of Much Ado was apparent, and made for a delightful evening. easily my favorite of those you have done. safe to say the bard would be proud. we’ll be back before the run is over.

So much fun! Pack a picnic and make your way to see this Nashville experience!

Shakespeare in the Park 2011 — Romeo and Juliet. It’s a free show (donations optional). There is an area for blanket seating in front, followed by an area for lawn chairs, then benches and bleachers set up in the back. There are also a few vendors selling snacks. Bathrooms are available behind the stage. Parking can be a little tricky, as it is scattered around the park.
The play itself — Romeo and Juliet set in 1898. Prior to the start of the show, the cast came out and tried to sing a couple of songs with the crowd which was kind of weird.
The costumes and the setting in the 1890’s didn’t really bother me, although it bothered the person I went with. The tragic part of the play was that the sound systen was terrible and the lack of enunciation and projection of the actors made it nearly impossible to understand anything that was being said. Most of them tried to overcome this by screaming their lines, which just made it worse. That in combination with the various groups of people talking all around me and the people scattered about who were smoking (yes, I know it’s outside, but come on) — it was all in all a less then enjoyable experience.
I do plan on going back next year. I just hope they raise enough in donations to get a better sound system and hire an enunciation and diction coach.

We biked from South Nashville (Nolensville Road /​Thomson Lane) to Centennial Park. We searched around for bike parking for about 15 minutes and gave up. Eventually we discovered we had missed the bike parking area due to it being obscured by a line of SUVs continually circling the park looking for a parking space.
If ever you wanted a more ironic festival attendee example, you’d be hard pressed. SUVs parked on and killing the grass as far as you could see. My sense of smug-​biker amplified by waste-​hater and park lover kicked in to put me in an annoyed mood at the attendees right off the bat, however I thought, at least they’re here and maybe that’s a good thing.
There were some booths here I had questions about but I figured at least they sort of fit into Earth Day — bath fitters — well, at least you’re not throwing out the old bathtub… 2 competing Chiropractic tents? Um perhaps you won’t need to buy a cane? 3 kettle corn stands — ummm… really… 3? Hot dog stands — recycled multi-​animal meat? Ok, yeah, losing me there… a few other choice places I looked at and thought «what the hell does this have to do with Earth Day?»
I understand the concept of corporate sponsorship and that to have an Earth day sometimes one must do what one does, but the thing felt a little more like a renn fair, with the main missing things being «Ye Olde» in front of the store names. Competing goat cheese booths (support local, sort of got it), competing jewelry booths (lost me), hemp clothing /​soap tents (ok, now you’re just catering to stoners)
Perhaps I missed the point or just focused on the negative… it was interesting, but would have loved to see more renewable energy demonstrated, more innovation on display, scooters, eco cars, bike stores, skate shops, battery innovation, hydrogen, less kettle corn.
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I felt the need to edit and add this part since I got called out in another review. I never ran across the posted maps or at least did not notice them in my wandering. Never ran across the electric motorcycles (which I would have loved to see). Missed the bike parking area due to (as mentioned above) a line of SUVs /​other large earth destroying vehicles in front of it when I biked into the park.
I don’t disparage the festival, I will say as someone just dropping in without researching it beforehand, it was possible to have my experience, and I really feel that a lot of the vendors there were mismatched /​just there to make a buck.
Or perhaps I’m just a completely unobservant opinionated grump who was tired from biking that day… I will definitely read the website before I drop in again.

I attended the 10^th Annual Nashville Earth Day Festival this past Saturday with a friend and our pups and had a nice time. I couldn’t imagine spending more than a couple of hours but it was a nice way to spend a beautiful afternoon.
This event is free but I would suggest taking some cash to enjoy lunch, snacks, or to buy some earth-​friendly products.
With an interesting mix of exhibitors and vendors that included local favorites Green Wagon, Turnip Truck, Peaceful Pastures, Nashville Vegans, Sierra Club, Team Green Adventures, Thistle Farms, Wild Cow, and more.
There was a lot to check!
Entertainment included dance troupes, bands, and activities for children so that the whole family can find something that may peak their interest.
Many people attended with their pooches so this was a very dog friendly event.
Parking can be a nightmare so I suggest parking closer to the hospitals and walking a couple of blocks to the park to avoid the headache!

This past Saturday night, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival was packed young couples, families, and giggling high schoolers whose teachers promised them extra credit in exchange for attending the performance. The show is free, but Nashville Shakes, who puts on the annual festival, suggests a $ 5 donation, which can be paid with cash or credit card.
Overall, I thought it was a great performance. The primary actors were all very good, the stage direction and choreographed fight scenes were well done, and I enjoyed watching night fall on the the outdoor theater. Towards the beginning of the performance the sound was rough and the crowd was restless, but once the action picked up and the sound guy made the necessary adjustments, everyone seemed to get into it. After all, it is Shakespeare. For free!
The play started at 7:30, but when we arrived around 6:45 the parking lot was already full, and so were all the spots for blankets on the ground in front of the stage. We didn’t have any trouble finding space in the bleachers, though, and settled down to enjoy the picnic we’d brought, trying not to make the people next to us too jealous.
I’d definitely recommend arriving early because of the limited space, even though you might have to sit through a less-​than-​impressive musical opening act.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, or Shakespeare in the Park as it is known locally, is a free event held in Centennial Park every summer. It’s a great opportunity to see live performances of some of Willy Shakes’ finest work, and it’s a lovely place to take a date or have a picnic.
The performers stage a different production each year, and they always have a unique take on Shakespeare’s classic works. Sometimes they’ll do a modern interpretation, and other times it will be closer to a conventional performance. The actors are typically quite talented, and as long as you show a bit early you’ll probably be able to get a spot near the stage.
The best thing about Shakespeare in the Park is that it usually runs for several weeks. This year, the performers will be staging «Coriolanus» from August 14 through September 7 on Thursdays-​Sundays. There are usually plenty of vendors in the park, so you can get yourself a snack or some ice cream before checking out the production. It’s great for families and one of Nashville’s neatest traditions.