20+ FREE THINGS to DO in MUSIC CITY U.S.A

January 1 - December 25, 2009 - Thursdays and Fridays, 5 to 9 p.m. - FREE College Nights at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. This is the perfect place to meet other college aged folks, so don't be shy, you can even go it ALONE. You can visit the current exhibitions FREE and enjoy live music in the lobby (from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. every Thursday and Friday) complete with bistro seating and a wine bar, and the Frist has a full service café open until 9 p.m. Your college ID is required for free admission. Phone: (615) 244-3340. www.fristcenter.org

Saturdays Through October 21, 2009 - Christ Church Cathedral 900 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203. Tour Nashville's historic Christ Church Cathedral. You'll hear stories about the people, the place, the stained glass windows, the architecture and the many elaborate furnishings that were carved right here in Nashville. Times: Saturdays 10:30am - Noon. Schedule subject to change for weddings and special events. Please call 615-255-7729 to verify availability.

Mondays June 8 - August 10, 2009, 10 to 11 a.m. The Slaughter Pen, Stones River National Battlefield, 3501 Old Nashville Highway Murfreesboro, TN 37129. A park ranger will conduct a walking tour of one of the bloodiest and most pivotal areas on the battlefield. Info Phone: (615) 893-9501.

Saturdays, July 4-July 25, 2009, 11:00 a.m. - Garden Gallery Tours: Dig Deeper, Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, 1200 Forrest Park Drive Nashville, TN 37205, Cheekwood's horticulturists and gardeners are continuously assembling, changing and redesigning the plant collections at Cheekwood. Take a tour of our living exhibitions with our expert botanical garden staff, stopping to "dig deeper" and further explore a different garden each month. The July tours will be of the Robinson Family Water Garden. Info Phone: (615) 356-8000

July 21, 2009, 7:00 p.m., Teri Reid - Solo Pianist will be performing at F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar, 2210 Crestmoor Road Nashville, TN 37215. Teri has been one of Nashville's premier piano-vocalists for more than twenty-five years. Teri's musical range and emotional power are her trademarks. Info Phone: (615) 269-5861

Saturday, July 25, 2009 - 10:00am - Family Program: Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck visits the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Fifth Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203. Watch a performance of Anansi the Spider. This puppet play is based on African tales of a spider who uses cleverness to achieve his wishes, features handmade marionettes and hand-and-rod puppets. Following the puppet show, participants will create their own percussion instrument. For all ages. Free. Families are encouraged to tour the museum at a discounted rate following the program. Visit the information desk or ticket window for more information. Info Phone: (615) 416-2001

Sunday, July 26, 2009, 8:30 p.m. Come to the Station Inn for Bluegrass Jam every Sunday! 402 12th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 Info Phone: (615) 255-3307

July 30 - August 1, 2009, Thursday and Friday 9:00am-8:00pm; Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm, Hand Me Ups Back to Shool Kids Consignment Sale. This is Nashville's premier children's consignment sale. Hand Me Ups is three-day event with the best in gently used baby and children's clothing, toys, gear, baby furniture and much more! We also carry maternity and postpartum needs for Mom! Tennessee State Fairgrounds, 625 Smith Avenue Nashville, TN 37203.

August 1, 2009, 11:00 a.m., Ugly Tomato Festival, Nashville Farmers' Market, 900 Eighth Avenue North Nashville, TN 37208. This is Nashville's BIGGEST tomato tasting, and celebrates what REALLY counts in a tomato - flavor. Music, cooking demos and more. Info Phone: (615) 880-2001

August 1, 2009 - Saturday 1-4 p.m., Shakespeare Allowed! Nashville Public Library - Main Library, 615 Church Street Nashville, TN 37219 Presented by The Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Shakespeare read out loud. The Nashville Shakespeare Festival hosts this monthly gathering at the Nashville Public Library (Main Library) on the first Saturday of each month to read from the works of William Shakespeare, beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. All voices, ages and dialects are welcome. Listeners are also encouraged! This month features King John. Phone: (615) 862-5800

August 1, 2009, 7-10 p.m., Centennial Park, 2598 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203. Big Band Dances in Centennial Park featuring Usual Suspects. Come celebrate Metro Parks' 26th annual summer of Big Band Dances! This year the free dances will be held every Saturday from June 6 through August 29, at the Band Shelter in Centennial Park. To help celebrate 26 years of Big Band music and dancing, we will hold weekly amateur swing dance contests. There will also be free ballroom dance lessons sponsored by Dance World from 7:00pm to 7:30pm and 8:30pm to 8:50pm. Live music begins at 7:30pm and continues until 10:00pm featuring Usual Suspects on August 1. The Centennial Café will have food and beverages for sale. People of all ages are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs or quilts to sit on the lawn. Parking is available along Park Plaza and in the Park. Presented by Metro Parks, the dances are sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission, WAMB, Dance World and Arts in the Parks. Info Phone: (615) 862-8424

August 8, 2009, 7:45 p.m. - The Second Saturday Summer Drive-In: W.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCEKINGS, Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Avenue Nashville, TN 37212. On the 2nd Saturday of the month from June to September, we continue our tradition of lugging out a PA and a16mm projector and showing old flicks on our side wall. Starting after sunset, the evening kicks off with a pre-show hodgepodge of fun shorts, kitsch commercials and serials of yesteryear followed by the evening's feature presentation. Bring your favorite chair of blanket.

August 13-September 13, 2009 - Shakespeare in the Park: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and The Taming of the Shrew, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival at the Centennial Park Bandshell, 2600 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203. For 22 years the Nashville Shakespeare Festival has entertained Nashville with its family friendly productions. For more information, call the Nashville Shakespeare Festival at (615) 255-2273 or visit www.nashvilleshakes.org. Tickets: Free Admission; First come, first seated. $5 suggested donation. Info Phone: (615) 255-2273

August 14, 2009, 8 to 10 p.m., Vanderbilt University Dyer Observatory, 1000 Oman Drive Brentwood, TN 37027 - Dyer Open House Telescope Night. The Dyer telescopes will be open for viewing. If cloudy we will be open for observatory tours. Info Phone: (615) 373-4897

August 22, 2009, Saturday 6:30pm to 9:30pm - Beachaven Vineyards and Winery,1100 Dunlop Lane Clarksville, TN 37040. Beachaven Winery's Jazz on the Lawn summer concert series presents the Clarksville Jazz Quintet (CJQ). Please bring friends, lawn chairs and a picnic. Please do NOT bring pets, grills or alcohol. Note: Our concerts are free admission with free parking. All we ask, is that you buy a bottle of Beachaven wine to enjoy with the music. Info Phone: (931) 645-8867

Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 8:00 a.m. - Dragon Boat and River Festival presented by the Cumberland River Compact at Riverfront Park, 100 First Avenue North Nashville, TN 37201. Dragon Boat racing differs from other team sports in that all boaters are important. Dragon Boat race winning hinges on how a team works together at paddling in sync and how each paddler perfects the stroke technique. Teams are registering now at www.nashvilledragonboat.com. Tickets: Free/Spectators. Registration fees apply for participants. See site for more information. Info Phone: (615) 650-6934

September 18-September 20, 2009 (times to be announced) - 27th Annual African Street Festival, African American Cultural Alliance, TSU - Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Boulevard Nashville, TN 37209. The African Street Festival is a festival that has grown to attract more than 50,000 people interested in African American culture. The festival has garnered local media attention and remains one of the city's premiere events attracting people of all ages, from all walks of life and from all sectors of the region. And our celebration is now also expanding to include the cultures of the Caribbean, North, Central and South America and other places around the world where Africa is also represented. The festival features a children's pavilion (featuring arts and crafts, drumming, dance, storytelling and more), Authentic African, American and other cuisines representing the Diaspora, Automotive Displays, a mix of live music, such as African, Reggae, Latin, R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Neo-Soul, Country, Blues, African Drumming and more, Spoken Word and Dance, an Opening Night International Music Block Party, and more than 100 street vendors. Info Phone: (615) 251-0007

September 19, 2009 - Saturday 10:00am to 3:00pm - Great Nashville Duck Race, benefitting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. Held at Riverfront Park,100 First Avenue North Nashville, TN 37201. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee invite you and all your quacky friends to waddle on down to The Great Nashville Duck Race September 19, 2009 at Riverfront Park. Thousands of rubber ducks will be dropped from the Gateway Bridge to race the Cumberland River. Lucky ducks reaching the finish line first will win great prizes. Tickets: Free Admission; $5 to adopt a duck Info Phone: (615) 833-2368

September 25-September 27, 2009, Friday and Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm,Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm - at Centennial Park, 2598 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203 - 31st Annual Tennessee Association of Craft Artists - TACA Crafts Fair - TACA celebrates the Fall Crafts Fair, beginning Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27 in Nashville's Centennial Park. For more information, please visit www.tennesseecrafts.org. Free Admission and Parking. Info Phone: (615) 385-1904

October 3, 2009 - Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm , at Centennial Park, 2598 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203. Celebration of Cultures, held by Scarritt-Bennett Center. Metro Parks and Scarritt Bennett present Celebration of Cultures in Centennial Park! This annual festival exists to celebrate and embrace cultural diversity through respecting, understanding and appreciating the cultures of the Greater Nashville population through dance, music, visual arts, a children's area, global villages and exotic food samplings.

Ongoing - Model Train Display: The Nashville Garden Railway Society's 4500-square foot layout is located in Nashville's 100 Oaks Shopping Center, directly in front of the second floor escalator. The display is open to the public on Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. (And on many Saturdays 11a.m.-5 p.m. when volunteer members are available.) 100 Oaks Shopping Center, 719 Thompson Lane.