Most artists with Fan Clubs have parties during the CMA Music Festival week. Some are earlier in the week; maybe Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and some are during the actual Festival days; Thursday - Sunday. I personally attended two Fan Club parties this year on Friday and Saturday. But I missed a Fan Club party which took place on Wednesday morning, and another I might have liked to attend on Tuesday, because I didn't plan to arrive early enough in the week.
Keep in mind that there is a cost to attend the parties, but it's well-worth the price for getting to meet your favorite artists in person and getting an autograph and picture, plus meeting with other fans of the same artist.
8. - Be Sure to Bring Plenty of Spending Money
While I've heard people complain about the prices of food and souvenirs, I didn't find the prices to be as bad as say, Disneyland. But it's still more expensive than you would find at home. One thing I did find, at my hotel, the soda machine was only 1.00, which was a BIG plus. I know in Las Vegas, the soda machines are $2.00 - $2.50 for a soda. I'm not talking cans either, these were bottles.
And to be safe, don't take all your money in cash. I took half of my money in cash and half in traveler's checks. I didn't have any problems cashing the traveler's checks anywhere in town.
9. - Which Events to See?
This is definitely a personal decision, but I want to point out that each year, for the past few years, CMT has held a taping of a show on the Wednesday evening of CMA Music Festival week. I wasn't able to attend the CMT Top 100 Love Songs taping as I didn't arrive early enough in the day. The IFCO (International Fan Club Organization) Fun Fest has its show on Tuesday night at 7:30. at the Ryman The Superstar Spectacular has been held Thursday night after the Coliseum show from 11:00 pm - 2:00 am, also at the Ryman. The City of Hope Celebrity Softball game is held on Thursday afternoon at 1pm at Greer Stadium. Want to get to know some of your favorite stars better? Attend one of the Celebrity Close Up Shows. There are two. One on Thursday and one on Friday, both at 4:30 pm.
Just looking at the schedules makes me wish I could clone myself so I could see everything. I know I missed out on some Riverfront Stages shows due to being at the Softball Game, and some other things due to being at Fan Club Parties, but you just have to prioritize things.
10. - Plan time for Sightseeing
If this is your first time to Nashville, chances are you'll want to take some time to see the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, the Opryland Hotel, and the Grand Ole Opry. This is another good reason to arrive early in the week. The Grand Ole Opry has a Tuesday night show during CMA Music Festival week, so you can take in a show without missing any of the official Festival events.
If you don't have a lot of time, you might want to take the one hour Trolley tour offered by Grayline. It departs from the Hard Rock Visitor's Booth on 2nd Avenue. There are also horse drawn carriages. Then, there is the Nash Trash Tours with the Jugg Sisters on the Big Pink Bus. They offer an offbeat 90-minute tour around town with plenty of juicy tales of your favorite country stars.
No matter what you end up doing, you'll most likely end up with some great memories, new friends, and want to come back again the next year.
