Nashville, Tennessee Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Culture== [[File:Half-chicken (dark meat) at Hattie B's with side of baked beans and mac & cheese.jpg|alt=Half-chicken at Hattie B's with side of baked beans and mac & cheese|right|thumb|upright=1|Half-chicken at Hattie B's with side of baked beans and mac and cheese]] Much of the city's cultural life has revolved around its large university community. Particularly significant in this respect were two groups of critics and writers who were associated with [[Vanderbilt University]] in the early 20th century: the [[Fugitives (poets)|Fugitives]] and the [[Southern Agrarians|Agrarians]]. Popular destinations include [[Fort Nashborough]] and [[Fort Negley]], the former being a reconstruction of the original settlement, the latter being a semi-restored Civil War battle fort; the [[Tennessee State Museum]]; and [[Parthenon (Nashville)|The Parthenon]], a full-scale replica of the original [[Parthenon]] in Athens. The [[Tennessee State Capitol]] is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Capitol {{!}} Tennessee Secretary of State |url=https://sos.tn.gov/civics/guides/state-capitol#:~:text=The%20Tennessee%20State%20Capitol,%20one,state%20capitols%20in%20the%20country. |access-date=October 11, 2023 |website=sos.tn.gov}}</ref> [[The Hermitage (Nashville, Tennessee)|The Hermitage]], the former home of President [[Andrew Jackson]], is one of the largest presidential homes open to the public, and is also one of the most visited.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hermitage |url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/jackson_hermitage.html |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Andrew Jackson's Hermitage: Home of the People's President |url=https://www.tnvacation.com/local/nashville-andrew-jacksons-hermitage-home-peoples-president |website=TNVacation.com |publisher=State of Tennessee, Department of Tourist Development |access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref> ===Dining=== Some of the more popular types of local cuisine include [[hot chicken]], hot fish, [[barbecue]], and [[meat and three]]. ===Entertainment and performing arts=== [[File:Rymanauditorium1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|[[Ryman Auditorium]], the "Mother Church of Country Music"|alt=]] Nashville has a vibrant music and entertainment scene spanning a variety of genres. With a long history in the music scene it is no surprise that city was nicknamed 'Music City.' The [[Tennessee Performing Arts Center]] is the major performing arts center of the city. It is the home of the [[Nashville Repertory Theatre]] and the [[Nashville Ballet]]. In September 2006, the [[Schermerhorn Symphony Center]] opened as the home of the [[Nashville Symphony]]. As the city's name itself is a [[metonymy|metonym]] for the country music industry, many popular attractions involve [[country music]], including the [[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]], [[Belcourt Theatre]], and [[Ryman Auditorium]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-15/in-booming-nashville-country-music-is-still-king|title=Why Nashville Can't Quit Country Music|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=September 15, 2019|via=Bloomberg}}</ref> Hence, the city became known as America's 'Country Music Capital.'<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/nashville-country-music-capital-of-the-world/MAES5BENW4PUSZL3HQYQ5IP7RQ/|title=Nashville: Country music capital of the world|website=NZ Herald|date=June 17, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/country-music-capital|title=Country Music Capital}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelalerts.ca/blogs/f-nashville-americas-country-music-capital/|title=Nashville: America's Country Music Capital}}</ref> The Ryman was home to the ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' until 1974 when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House, {{convert|9|mi}} east of downtown. The Opry plays there several times a week, except for an annual winter run at the Ryman. [[File:RCAStudioB Console.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|[[Bill Porter (sound engineer)|Bill Porter]]'s audio console at [[RCA Studio B]] in Nashville. Studio B was the birthplace of the [[Nashville sound]].|alt=]] Many music clubs and [[honky-tonk]] bars are in downtown Nashville,<ref name="cain20180613" /> particularly the area encompassing [[Lower Broadway]], Second Avenue, and [[Printer's Alley]], which is often referred to as "the District".<ref name="Romine2006–117">{{cite book |title=Frommer's Nashville & Memphis |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons|Wiley]] |location=Hoboken |first=Linda |last=Romine |year=2006 |edition=7th |pages=117–120 |isbn=0-471-77614-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Insiders' Guide to Nashville |publisher=Globe Pequot |location=Guilford |first1=Cindy Stooksbury |last1=Guier |first2=Jackie Sheckler |last2=Finch |year=2007 |edition=6th |pages=118–129 |isbn=978-0-7627-4186-1}}</ref> Each June, the [[CMA Music Festival]] (formerly known as Fan Fair) brings thousands of country fans to the city. The [[Tennessee State Fair]] is also held annually in September. Nashville was once home of television shows such as ''[[Hee Haw]]'' and ''[[Pop! Goes the Country]]'', as well as [[The Nashville Network]] and later, [[RFD-TV]]. [[Country Music Television]] and [[Great American Country]] currently operate from Nashville. The city was also home to the [[Opryland USA|Opryland USA theme park]], which operated from 1972 to 1997 before being closed by its owners ([[Gaylord Entertainment Company]]) and soon after demolished to make room for the [[Opry Mills]] mega-shopping mall. The [[Contemporary Christian music]] industry is based along Nashville's [[Music Row]], with a great influence in neighboring [[Williamson County, Tennessee|Williamson County]]. The Christian record companies include [[EMI Christian Music Group]], [[Provident Label Group]] and [[Word Records]]. Music Row houses many [[gospel music]] and Contemporary Christian music companies centered around 16th and 17th Avenues South. On River Road, off Charlotte Pike in West Nashville, the ''CabaRay'' opened its doors on January 18, 2018. The performing venue of [[Ray Stevens]], it offers a [[Vegas]]-style dinner and a show atmosphere. There is also a [[piano bar]] and a [[gift shop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://raystevenscabaray.com/|title=Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom | Music Shows in Nashville, TN|website=Ray Stevens CabaRay}}</ref> Although Nashville was never known as a major [[jazz]] town, it did have many great jazz bands, including The Nashville Jazz Machine led by Dave Converse and its current version, the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, led by Jim Williamson, as well as The Establishment, led by Billy Adair. The Francis Craig Orchestra entertained Nashvillians from 1929 to 1945 from the Oak Bar and Grille Room in the [[Hermitage Hotel]]. Craig's orchestra was also the first to broadcast over local radio station WSM-AM and enjoyed phenomenal success with a 12-year show on the [[NBC Red Network|NBC Radio]] Network. In the late 1930s, he introduced a newcomer, [[Dinah Shore]], a local graduate of Hume Fogg High School and Vanderbilt University.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} Radio station [[WMOT|WMOT-FM]] in nearby [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]], which formerly programmed jazz, aided significantly in the recent revival of the city's jazz scene, as has the non-profit Nashville Jazz Workshop, which holds concerts and classes in a renovated building in the north Nashville neighborhood of Germantown. [[Fisk University]] also maintains a jazz station, [[WFSK]]. Nashville has an active theatre scene and is home to several professional and community theatre companies. [[Nashville Children's Theatre]], Nashville Repertory Theatre, the [[Nashville Shakespeare Festival]], the Dance Theatre of Tennessee and the Tennessee Women's Theater Project are among the most prominent professional companies. One community theatre, Circle Players, has been in operation for over 60 years. The [[Barbershop Harmony Society]] has its headquarters in Nashville. ===Tourism=== Perhaps the biggest factor in drawing visitors to Nashville is its association with country music, in which the [[Nashville sound]] played a role.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/nashville-become-hub-country-music.htm |title=How Did Nashville Become the Hub of Country Music? |work=How Stuff Works |first=Dave |last=Roos |date=June 25, 2018 |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> Many visitors to Nashville attend live performances of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest-running live radio show. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is another major attraction relating to the popularity of country music. The [[Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center]], the Opry Mills regional shopping mall and the ''[[General Jackson (riverboat)|General Jackson]]'' showboat, are all located in what is known as Music Valley. Civil War history is important to the city's tourism industry. Sites pertaining to the [[Battle of Nashville]] and the nearby [[Battle of Franklin (1864)|Battle of Franklin]] and [[Battle of Stones River]] can be seen, along with several well-preserved antebellum plantation houses such as [[Belle Meade Plantation]], Carnton plantation in Franklin, and Belmont Mansion.<ref name="Davidson2005">{{cite journal |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2005/6/2005_6_31.shtml |title=Singing City |journal=[[American Heritage (magazine)|American Heritage]] |first=Carla |last=Davidson |volume=56 |issue=6 |date=November–December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012041857/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2005/6/2005_6_31.shtml |archive-date=October 12, 2008}}</ref> Nashville has many arts centers and museums, including the [[Frist Center for the Visual Arts]], [[Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art]], the [[Tennessee State Museum]], the [[Johnny Cash Museum]], Fisk University's Van Vechten and Aaron Douglas Galleries, Vanderbilt University's Fine Art Gallery and Sarratt Gallery, the [[National Museum of African American Music]], and the [[Parthenon (Nashville)|full-scale replica]] of the [[Parthenon]]. A sculpture of Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon is the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western World – standing 42 feet high.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hubbard |first=Ashley |date=August 16, 2022 |title=Nashville Trivia – Fun and Interesting Facts About Music City |url=https://wild-hearted.com/nashville-trivia/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=Wild Hearted |language=en-US}}</ref> Nashville has become an increasingly popular destination for [[bachelor party|bachelor]] and [[bachelorette party|bachelorette parties]].<ref name="buzzfeed20180329">{{Cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/how-nashville-became-one-big-bachelorette-party |title=How Nashville Became One Big Bachelorette Party |work=[[BuzzFeed]] |last=Petersen |first=Anne Helen |date=March 29, 2018 |access-date=April 9, 2018}}</ref> In 2017, ''[[Nashville Scene]]'' counted 33 bachelorette parties on Lower Broadway ("from Fifth Avenue down to the Cumberland River, it's their town") in less than two hours on a Friday night, and stated that the actual number was likely higher. Downtown, the newspaper wrote, "offers five blocks of bars with live music and no cover".<ref name="hale20170803">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/cover-story/article/20971015/the-bachelorettes |title=Welcome to Bachelorette City |work=[[Nashville Scene]] |last=Hale |first=Steven |date=August 3, 2017 |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Nashville "the hottest destination for bachelorette parties in the country" because of the honky-tonk bars' live music.<ref name=cain20180613>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/fashion/weddings/bachelorettes-in-boots-take-on-nashville.html |title=Bachelorettes in Boots Take On Nashville |work=The New York Times |first=Stephanie |last=Cain |date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=January 7, 2019}}</ref> City boosters welcome the bachelorette parties because temporary visitors may become permanent; ''[[BuzzFeed]]'' wrote, "These women are at precisely the point in their lives when a move to Nashville is possible".<ref name="buzzfeed20180329" /> The city in 2022 began regulating [[party bus]]es that provide [[transportainment]] in downtown, issuing dozens of permits and rejecting applications for dozens more.<ref name="gainey20220630">{{Cite news |last=Gainey |first=Blaise |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Party's over for some transportainment companies as Nashville denies dozens of party vehicle permits |language=en-US |publisher=WPLN |url=https://wpln.org/post/partys-over-for-some-transportainment-companies-as-nashville-denies-dozens-of-party-vehicle-permits/ |access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref> The [[CMT (U.S. TV channel)|CMT]] reality television series ''Bachelorette Weekend'' follows the employees at Bach Weekend, a Nashville company that designs and throws bachelor and bachelorette parties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/cmt-orders-bachelorette-weekend-reality-show-jersey-shore-producers/amp/ |title=CMT Orders 'Bachelorette Weekend' Reality Show From 'Jersey Shore' Producers |website=The Wrap |last=Nakamura |first=Reid |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018 |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830074137/https://www.thewrap.com/cmt-orders-bachelorette-weekend-reality-show-jersey-shore-producers/amp/ }}</ref> ====Major annual events==== {| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" |- ! style="background:LightSteelBlue; color:black;"|Event ! style="background:LightSteelBlue; color:black;"|Month held and location |- |[[Nashville Film Festival]] |A weeklong festival in April that features hundreds of independent films. It is one of the largest film festivals in the Southern United States. |- |[[Nashville Fashion Week]] |A citywide event typically held in March or April, this is a celebration of Nashville's fashion and retail community featuring local, regional and national design talent in fashion events and shows.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nashvillefashionweek.com/ |title=Nashville Fashion Week |publisher=nashvillefasionweek.com |access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref> |- |[[Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon]] |Marathon, half marathon, and 5k race held in April with runners from around the world. In 2012, participation surpassed 30,000 runners. |- |Rites of Spring Music Festival |A two-day music festival held every April at [[Vanderbilt University]] since 1986. Rites of Spring has welcomed a number of famous artists to the Vanderbilt campus, including [[Wiz Khalifa]], [[Young the Giant]], [[Drake (musician)|Drake]], [[Steve Aoki]], and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://studentorg.vanderbilt.edu/ros/history/ |title=History |publisher=Rites of Spring |date=February 1, 2011 |access-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813072511/https://studentorg.vanderbilt.edu/ros/history/ |archive-date=August 13, 2018 }}</ref> |- |[[Iroquois Steeplechase]] |Annual [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase]] horse racing event held in May at [[Percy Warner Park]]. |- |[[CMA Music Festival]] |A four-day event in June featuring performances by country music stars, autograph signings, artist/fan interaction, and other activities for country music fans. |- |[[Nashville Pride]] |A two-day event held in June that fosters awareness of and for the [[LGBT]] community and culture in Middle Tennessee. The 2019 festival drew a record crowd of over 75,000 people, establishing it as the largest LGBT event in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gill |first1=Joey |title=Nashville Pride Festival breaks attendance record with over 75,000 attending |url=https://www.wsmv.com/news/nashville-pride-festival-breaks-attendance-record-with-over-attending/article_3918da20-9902-11e9-aa56-53755fa74ebb.html |website=WSMV Nashville |language=en |access-date=August 13, 2019 |archive-date=August 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813124236/https://www.wsmv.com/news/nashville-pride-festival-breaks-attendance-record-with-over-attending/article_3918da20-9902-11e9-aa56-53755fa74ebb.html }}</ref> |- |Let Freedom Sing! |Held every [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] at Riverfront Park, featuring a street festival and live music, and culminating in one of the largest [[fireworks]] shows in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/06/09/nashville-fireworks-july-show-largest/28729845/ |title=Nashville vies with New York for largest U.S. fireworks show |author=Lori Grisham |work=USA Today |date=June 9, 2015 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> An estimated 280,000 people attended the 2014 celebration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wkrn.com/2015/06/30/music-citys-fourth-of-july-let-freedom-sing-celebration/ |title=Nashville's Fourth of July 'Let Freedom Sing!' celebration |publisher=WKRN News 2 |date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |archive-date=July 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706001508/http://wkrn.com/2015/06/30/music-citys-fourth-of-july-let-freedom-sing-celebration/ }}</ref> |- |Tomato Art Festival |Held each August in [[East Nashville, Tennessee|East Nashville]], this event celebrates the Tomato as a Unifier.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tomatoartfest.com |title=Home |website=Tomato Art Festival |access-date=May 29, 2016}}</ref> |- |African Street Festival |Held in September on the campus of Tennessee State University. It is committed to connecting and celebrating the extensions of Africa to America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aacanashville.org |title=African American Cultural Alliance |website=AACANashville.org |access-date=May 29, 2016}}</ref> |- |[[Live on the Green Music Festival]] |A free concert series held in August and September at Public Square Park by local radio station [[Lightning 100]]. |- |[[Tennessee State Fair]] |The State Fair held in September at the State Fairgrounds, which lasts nine days and includes rides, exhibits, [[rodeo]]s, [[tractor pulling|tractor pulls]], and numerous other shows and attractions. |- |Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival |A free event held the first Saturday in October at Centennial Park, it is Middle Tennessee's largest multicultural festival and includes music and dance performances, ethnic food court, children's area, teen area, and marketplace.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bliss|first=Jessica|date=October 5, 2019|title=Celebrate Nashville culture festival is a vibrant display of the city's diversity|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2019/10/05/nashville-immigrant-foreign-born-tennessee-culture-diversity/3881274002/|work=The Tennessean|location=Nashville, Tennessee|access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref> |- |Art Nashville International Art Fair |An annual Art Fair in downtown Nashville. Includes galleries and dealers from around the world. Open to the public.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.art-nashville.com |title=Art Nashville |access-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304231353/https://www.art-nashville.com/ |archive-date=March 4, 2018 }}</ref> |- |Nashville Oktoberfest |A free event held in the historic Germantown neighborhood since 1980 celebrating the culture and customs of Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thenashvilleoktoberfest.com/ |title=Oktoberfest German Beer Festival · Nashville's Top October Event |website=Nashville Oktoberfest |access-date=July 15, 2017}}</ref> Oktoberfest is Nashville's oldest annual festival and is one of the largest in the South.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wkrn.com/2015/10/10/nashvilles-oktoberfest-continues-in-germantown/ |title=Nashville's Oktoberfest continues in Germantown |publisher=WKRN |first=Joseph |last=Pleasant |date=October 10, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2015 |archive-date=October 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014234206/http://wkrn.com/2015/10/10/nashvilles-oktoberfest-continues-in-germantown/ }}</ref> In 2015, over 143,000 people attended the three-day event which raised $60,000 for Nashville non-profits.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-news/oktoberfest-raises-more-than-50k-for-local-organizations |title=Oktoberfest Raises More than $50K For Local Organizations |publisher=WTVF |date=October 12, 2015 |access-date=October 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101091558/http://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-news/oktoberfest-raises-more-than-50k-for-local-organizations |archive-date=January 1, 2016}}</ref> |- |Southern Festival of Books |A festival held in October, featuring readings, panels, and book signings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/events/southernfestivalofbooks |title=Southern Festival of Books |publisher=Nashville Visitor's & Convention Corp |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref> |- |[[Country Music Association Awards]] |Award ceremony normally held in November at the Bridgestone Arena and televised to a national audience. |- |Veterans Day Parade |A parade running down Broadway on 11/11 at 11:11.11{{nbsp}}am since 1951. Features include [[101st Airborne Division]] (Air Assault), [[Tennessee National Guard]], veterans from wars past and present, military plane fly-overs, tanks, motorcycles, first responder vehicles, marching bands and thousands of spectators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nashvillesveteransdayparade.com/ |title=Nashville's Veterans Day Parade |access-date=October 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108160136/http://www.nashvillesveteransdayparade.com/ |archive-date=November 8, 2014}}</ref> |} ===Nicknames=== Nashville is a colorful, well-known city in several different arenas. As such, it has earned various sobriquets, including: * '''Music City, U.S.A.''': [[WSM (AM)|WSM-AM]] announcer David Cobb first used this name during a 1950 broadcast and it stuck. It is now the official nickname used by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nashville is the home of the [[Grand Ole Opry]], the Country Music Hall of Fame, and many major [[record label]]s.<ref name="bmimusiccity">{{cite web |url=http://bmi.com/library/brochures/historybook/musiccity.asp |title=Music City, U.S.A. |work=BMI.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010707123558/http://www.bmi.com/library/brochures/historybook/musiccity.asp |archive-date=July 7, 2001}}</ref> This name also dates back to 1873, where after receiving and hearing a performance by the [[Fisk Jubilee Singers]], [[Queen Victoria]] of the United Kingdom is reported as saying that "These young people must surely come from a musical city."<ref name="fisk2-1">{{cite journal |url=http://www.fisk.edu/pdfs/fiskmag/Fisk_Mag_March_07.pdf |title=Fisk Jubilee Singers Celebrate 135 Year Tradition with "Walk of Fame" Honors |journal=Fisk |date=March 2007 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710015859/http://www.fisk.edu/pdfs/fiskmag/Fisk_Mag_March_07.pdf |archive-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref> *'''Smashville''': This moniker is most closely associated with the [[Nashville Predators]] hockey team. According to Yahoo News, the name was conjured by local fan Frank Glinski, "Glinski actually came up with the term "Smashville" during a conversation with the Predators' then-vice president of marketing, who like Glinski had a child playing youth hockey locally." [https://www.yahoo.com/news/smashville-born-died-lived-nashville-203644940.html] A "Smashville" sign is located outside the home of the Predators, [[Bridgestone Arena]]. *'''[[Athens]] of the South''': Home to 24 post-secondary educational institutions, Nashville has long been compared to Athens, the ancient city of learning and site of [[Plato]]'s Academy. Since 1897, a full-scale [[Parthenon (Nashville)|replica of the Athenian Parthenon]] has stood in Nashville, and many examples of classical and neoclassical architecture can be found in the city.<ref name="Kreyling1996" /> The term was popularized by [[Philip Lindsley]] (1786–1855), President of the [[University of Nashville]], though it is unclear whether he was the first person to use the phrase. * '''The Protestant [[Vatican City|Vatican]]'''<ref>{{cite book |title=Insiders' Guide to Nashville |publisher=Globe Pequot |location=Guilford, Connecticut |first1=Cindy Stooksbury |last1=Guier |first2=Jackie Sheckler |last2=Finch |year=2007 |edition=6th |pages=13, 35, 396 |isbn=978-0-7627-4186-1}}</ref> or '''The [[Bible Belt#Buckle|Buckle]] of the [[Bible Belt]]''':<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/us/following-its-country-music-nashville-may-loosen-up-on-marijuana.html?_r=0 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 19, 2016 |title=Following Its Country Music, Nashville May Loosen Up on Marijuana |last=Fausset |first=Richard}}</ref> Nashville has over 700 churches,<ref name="nashcity1">{{cite web |url=http://nashcity.com/religious-institutions/christian-churches/index.shtml |title=Nashville Area Churches |work=NashCity.com |access-date=April 30, 2008}}</ref> several seminaries, a number of Christian music companies, and is the headquarters for the publishing arms of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] ([[LifeWay Christian Resources]]), the [[United Methodist Church]] ([[United Methodist Publishing House]]) and the [[National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.|National Baptist Convention]] (Sunday School Publishing Board). It is also the seat of the National Baptist Convention, the [[National Association of Free Will Baptists]], the [[Gideons International]], the [[Gospel Music Association]], and [[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]], the world's largest producer of Bibles.<ref name="road&travel">{{cite web |url=http://www.roadandtravel.com/travel%20directory/Tennessee/nashvillestory.htm |title=Nashville: Sophisticated Southern City with a Country Edge |work=RoadandTravel.com |first=Rachel L |last=Miller |date=April 14, 2008 |access-date=April 30, 2008 |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517015813/http://www.roadandtravel.com/travel%20directory/Tennessee/nashvillestory.htm }}</ref> * '''Cashville''': Nashville native [[Young Buck]] released a successful rap album called ''[[Straight Outta Cashville]]'' that has popularized the nickname among a new generation.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/cashville-underground/Content?oid=1192246 |title=Cashville Underground |journal=Nashville Scene |first=Jack |last=Silverman |volume=24 |issue=34 |date=September 22, 2005 |access-date=December 16, 2010 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925014842/http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/cashville-underground/Content?oid=1192246 }}</ref> * '''[[Little Kurdistan]]''': Nashville has the United States' largest population of [[History of the Kurds in Nashville, Tennessee|Kurdish people]], estimated to be around 11,000.<ref name="kurdish1"/><ref name="kurdish3">{{cite news |title=Iraqis to cast votes in Nashville |work=The Tennessean and Chicago Tribune |first1=Ian |last1=Demsky |first2=Oscar |last2=Avila |date=December 30, 2004}}</ref> * '''Nash Vegas''' or '''Nashvegas'''<ref name="nashvegas1">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/06/travel/true-grits-in-nashville.html?pagewanted=3 |title=True Grits in Nashville |first=Eric |last=Asimov |work=The New York Times |date=July 6, 1997 |access-date=January 22, 2010}}</ref> Nashville has additionally earned the moniker "The Hot Chicken Capital",<ref name="pinpulpit20130703">{{cite web |url=http://pinstripepulpit.com/chicken-that-lights-you-up-boltons-spicy-chicken-fish-of-nashville/ |title=Chicken That Lights You Up: Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish of Nashville |work=Pinstripe Pulpit |first=Alan |last=Cornett |date=July 3, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112002851/http://pinstripepulpit.com/chicken-that-lights-you-up-boltons-spicy-chicken-fish-of-nashville/ |archive-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref> becoming known for the local specialty cuisine [[hot chicken]].<ref name="yahoo20130327">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/burning-desire--hot-chicken-takes-over-nashville-151831274.html |title=Burning desire: Hot chicken takes over Nashville |work=Yahoo News |first=Chris |last=Talbott |date=March 27, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name="abcnews20111103">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=14875350&sid=80&p=10 |title=Scorching Hot Fried Chicken in Nashville |work=ABC News |first=Larry |last=Olmsted |date=November 3, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref> The Music City Hot Chicken Festival is hosted annually in Nashville and several restaurants make this spicy version of southern fried chicken.<ref name="Music City Hot Chicken Festival">{{cite web |url=http://mchcf.blogspot.com/ |title=Music City Hot Chicken Festival |access-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113032406/http://mchcf.blogspot.com/ |archive-date=November 13, 2013 }}</ref> Due to a short-lived smokeless gunpowder plant in 1918, Nashville also had the nickname "Powder City of the World."<ref name="The Powder City of the World">{{cite web |url=https://library.nashville.org/blog/2017/12/powder-city-world |title=The Powder City of the World |access-date=January 8, 2024 }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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