2016 Nashville Gift Guide

The holidays are upon us y'all.

In 2015, I created my first local-to-Nashville gift guide to give my readers a handful of gift ideas of my favorite Nashville products for loved ones. It was so much fun playing Oprah, and there are so many fabulous local products, I simply had to bring it back for 2016.

So without further adieu, I present to you my top choices for gifts during the 2016 Holiday Season.

(Yay!)

Pilgrimage Festival -- Music. Food. Celebs.

Touring the art vendors at Pilgrimage Festival -- thanks for the photo, Kristin Luna @ Camels + Chocolates.

Last weekend was certainly a hot one, but it did not keep fans from across the country from making the pilgrimage to Franklin for the second annual Pilgrimage Festival. Two days of music, art, and food -- and attended by over 15,000 folks. It was my first year attending, and y'all -- I LOVED it. Despite the heat, the festival was incredibly well executed, from the art vendors, to staff, to the top-notch talent.

Speaking of talent, this year's lineup included Daryl Hall & John Oates (!!), Beck, Jason Isbell, Grace Potter, Kacey Musgraves, Violent Femmes, The Arcs, Cake, Anderson East, and more. Only in Nashville.

Ms. Kacey Musgraves killing it on stage, per usual. 

Speaking of Nashville... In typical Nashville fashion, celebs abounded. Lily Aldridge and Caleb Followill were there to catch Beck, Miranda Lambert danced side stage during boyfriend Anderson East’s set, and Haley Williams of Paramore hung backstage to support friend Kacey Musgraves. N’Sync’s Chris Kirkpatrick (!!) and GRAMMY-Award winning producer Dave Cobb were also spotted partaking in festival fun. Sadly, I heard of no (Pilgrimage Festival partner) Justin Timberlake sightings... There's always next year, I suppose?

Did you #MakeThePilgrimage this year? What was your favorite part?

High school/college me was freaking out about Better than Ezra.

The art vendors were incredible, and the locale of the festival was stunning.

The Park at Harlinsdale, where Pilgrimage Festival is held, is stunning.

Speaking of Ms. Musgraves, this happened. I love her. The perfect way to cap of a perfect weekend.

(Thanks to George Dickel for having us out, and for the VIP treatment. I do love your whisky.)



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Music City Food + Wine - Nashville's Ultimate Foodie Weekend

Held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Music City Food + Wine Festival is my favorite festival of the year.

Y'all. Last weekend was perhaps my favorite weekend of 2016.
...and 2015.
...and 2014.

Notice the trend?

Hanging with mah boos, Maneet Chauhan, Beth Sachan of Eat. Drink. Smile. and Kristin Luna of Camels & Chocolate. 

Music City Food + Wine Festival, one of Nashville's premier foodie events put on by Food and Wine magazine and the Kings of Leon. Mingle and meet with your favorite chefs at the Grand Tasting (unlimited bites and drinks), attend culinary demos, boozy tasting sessions, and listen to the best music in town. Food + Booze + Music = my absolute favorite kind of combination.

Let's get to it the best way I know how to recap: via a photo round-up of the weekend.

CONTEST TIME! Meet / Workout with Erin Oprea + Shawn Booth!

You too, can look this good whilst working out with CitySTRONG

Y'all, it's time for a fun giveaway!

What is it? TWO VIP passes to CitySTRONG, an innovative outdoor workout led by celebrity trainers Erin Oprea and Shawn Booth, September 4 at 9:30AM! Your VIP pass includes a premier spot for the workout, a meet and greet with Erin and Shawn, and a swag bag.

Erin's clientele includes Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Jana Kramer. Shawn, well, you all mayrecognize Shawn as the winner of the Bachelorette season 11, and fiancee to Ms. Bristowe.

A fabulous way to stay fit, take in the beautiful sights of Nashville, all while being led by (+ getting to meet) these two beautiful humans? Sounds like a win to me.

Here's how you enter:

(Choose one, or do them all! Winner will be chosen at random + you will receive one entry for every task completed.)

1) Leave a comment on this blog post and let me know why you want to win (i.e.: I need legs like Carrie Underwood, or, because Shawn Booth's abs are so inspirational.)

2) Follow @experiencenash on Instagram.

3) Tag a friend in the comments section of Erin + Shawn's photo on @experiencenash's Instagram. For every friend you tag, you'll receive an additional entry.

4)  Follow @experiencenash on Twitter.

Winners will be notified Sunday, 8/28. Good luck!

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The Best Men's Shopping in Nashville

Guys: Looking to do some shopping outside of the outlet mall? I've got you covered with my picks of the best men's stores in Nashville.

Shirt: Jack Randall // Jeans: Imogene + Willie Barton Slim // Shoes: Nisolo Emilio Chukka Boot Noir

Jack Randall

Jack Randall's sister (women's) store, Vinnie and Louise, has been a hit in town for a hot minute. Now, it's the guys turn -- and thank goodness for us Jack Randall has come into the Nashville fashion scene. With affordable, fun, fashionable shirts/pants/shorts/shoes/sunglasses and more, Jack Randall has quickly become one of my top spots to shop.

jackrandall.com  729 Porter Road, Nashville, TN 37206

Nisolo

Nisolo shoemakers handcraft each boot, and ya'll -- they are hot. I'm a proud owner of both the Nisolo chukka and trench boot; not only are they stylish, but are also incredibly comfortable. Almost every single time I wear either pair, I receive a compliment. Quality + fashionable + functionality at an affordable price? A definite win.

nisolo.com  1803 9th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208

Haymakers

Other than Nordstrom, Haymakers offers probably the best selection of denim in town. The remainder of their inventory includes casual wear, and even custom-to-order suiting. Need a haircut? They've got you covered, with a full-service barber in tow.

haymakersandco.com  3307 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203

Imogene + Willie

Go-to for t-shirts, hats, and my staple pair of raw denim jeans. The best part? They size, alter, and fit each pair of jeans to your specification. I wear my Barton Slims nearly every day (and have worn I+W jeans almost every day for nearly 3 years) and am absolutely in love.

imogeneandwillie.com  2601 12th Ave. S, Nashville, TN 37204

Top Knot Vintage

Sometimes it's nice to pick up a unique piece of clothing that isn't also owned by the majority of your male buddies. How? See: Top Knot Vintage. A slick collection of curated vintage pieces takes the difficulty of tracking down a unique shirt, pants, or shoes yourself. 

instagram.com/topknotvintage  307 N 16th St, Nashville, TN 37206

J. Crew Men's 

Yes yes yes. I realize it's not a local brand -- however, guys, we have our own, entire J. Crew store in Edgehill Village. Solid staples: my every day button ups, chinos, and tennis shoes typically come from the Crew -- plus, you can grab a post-shopping beverage at of Nashville's greatert bars, Old Glory, afterward. 

jcrew.com   1201 Villa Pl #100, Nashville, TN 37212

CMA Fest 2016 - Relive it Wednesday, August 3!

Sam Hunt @ CMA Fest (photo by Chandler Turner)

One of my fave summertime weeks in Nashville: CMA Fest, a four day celebration in June featuring some of the greatest music to come out of our town. It was SUCH a blast to partake in the festivities this year, and I certainly can't wait to relive it all this Wednesday August 3, during “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock,” at 7:00 on ABC. 

Hosted by Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett, the biggest names in Country Music (Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley <swoon>, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindle, Cam, and Keith Urban - whew) join talents with Elle King, Pharrell Williams, Steven Tyler, and more for collabs that you cannot miss. 

The special will feature Bentley performing with Elle King; Bryan with Urban; Eldredge and Thomas Rhett; Lady Antebellum with Cam; Little Big Town with Pharrell Williams; Rascal Flatts with Maren Morris; Tyler with Martina McBride; Hank Williams, Jr. with Chris Janson and Justin Moore; and Chris Young duetting with Cassadee Pope. You can't make this level of epic up.

SO, you should check out a little preview of the show with one Carrie's hottest new singles, and a few shots from the night courtesy of experiencenash.com collaborator Chandler Turner. 

Luke Bryan @ CMA Fest

Chris Stapleton @ CMA Fest

Carrie Underwood @ CMA Fest

Q&A with Mr. Dave Barnes!

Dave Barnes is the total package. Funny, genuine, incredibly good looking, and man he can write (+ sing) a song. I was thrilled to sit down with him recently to discuss his upcoming headlining Ryman show (tickets available here), new album Carry on San Vicente, and of course his Nashville faves.

How about we dive right on in?