Contributor Calendar

Nashville’s Best Free Events Downtown

Whether you’ve lived in Nashville for years or you’re just in town for a few days, there’s always a way to get out and about without spending a ton. Every two weeks, The Contributor rounds up some of the best local fun to help you navigate all the city has to offer as well as volunteer opportunities and the occasional quick hot tips for the tourists from a vendor.

BLACK HISTORY TOURS

Throughout February at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd

This 45-minute tour at the state’s museum, which is free for all visitors, is a highlights tour of Black history in Tennessee. A museum educator will guide visitors through the galleries and outline stories of Black Tennesseans from the frontier to the quest for freedom and from the Civil War to Civil Rights. See Pg. 10 to read about The Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship in Tennessee, a Lunch & Learn series happening at the museum in February as well.

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT FRIST AFTER FIVE

Feb. 2-23 at the Frist, 919 Broadway

Every Thursday in February from 6-8 p.m., The Frist is celebrating Black arts and culture with special programming in the Frist Café. The museum will have live music, poetry, local contemporary art and food trucks. On Feb. 2, they’ll be poetry by Wolfe with a musical performance by Chuck Indigo; on Feb. 9 poetry by Wisdom with a musical performance by Crystal Rose and band; on Feb. 16, poetry by Guru with a musical performance by Quez Cantrell and on Feb. 23, poetry Mama with a musical performance by Raemi. All of the events are free, and food and drink will be available for purchase.

NASHVILLE CONFERENCE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

Feb. 10 in a virtual format

The Metropolitan Historical Commission and Tennessee State University have partnered again to present the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. This year's conference is virtual, and the theme this year is “Tell it Like It Is: Exploring African American Public, Oral, and Written History in Tennessee.” The event includes panels and discussion with distinguished Tennessee historians, researchers and authors as well as entertainment from the TSU Meistersingers chamber choir and a theatrical performance from the Fisk University Stagecrafters. The $20 registration fee covers access to the half-day online event. Visit https://ncaahc.org/ to register.

NASHVILLE BLACK MARKET: BLACK HISTORY EXPO

Feb. 11-12 at The Fairgrounds Nashville, 625 Smith Ave.

The Nashville Black Market is hosting a two-day Black History Month Expo. The market will host more than 100 Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs at The Fairgrounds Nashville.

IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW FEILER, FRANK BRINKLEY AND CHARLES BRINKLEY: A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN

Feb. 24 at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd.

Andrew Feiler, Frank Brinkley and Charles Brinkley will be in conversation on opening weekend of A Better Life For Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, And The 4,978 Schools That Changed America. The exhibit shows images by Feiler of schools involved in a historic collaboration between white businessman Julius Rosenwald and Black educator Booker T. Washington, which led to the building of nearly 5,000 public schools. Feiler drove more than 25,000 miles, photographed 105 schools and interviewed former students, teachers, preservationists and community leaders for this project.