A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. Throw in a little blues, bluegrass and soul and you start to get a taste of Tennessee’s rich musical heritage. More than music, Tennessee’s regional diversity strings together a variety of heritage towns, Civil War trails and battlefields and African American and Native American history and culture. Each region brings its own flavor to the mix.
Memphis
Memphis boasts a treasure trove of live venues, historic sites and alluring festivals.
"We’re a unique destination with a little edge to it," says J. John Oros Jr., executive vice president and COO of the Memphis CVB. "There’s a cool vibe, and it’s a must see if you’re interested in American history. Memphis has left its footprint in modern America like few cities have. You also see the entrepreneurial spirit in small businesses around town. We’re a very creative, artsy city."
From the industry perspective, Memphis takes credit as the birthplace of FedEx and for the start of the modern grocery store with its Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain. Today, the former home of Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders serves as the Pink Palace Museum, housing exhibits about the city’s natural and cultural attractions.
On the side of history, Memphis played a key role in the Civil Rights movement and will always be remembered as the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop" speech. A day later, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated at the then Lorraine Motel, which today is the location of the National Civil Rights Museum, offering groups an auditorium, banquet room and
One time home to the likes of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Howlin’ Wolf, Memphis played a pivotal role in both the birth of rock and roll and the rise of blues born out of the Mississippi Delta. In the ’50s, Stax Records, which helped create Memphis soul, and Sun Records, recording home to Elvis, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, helped define the Memphis music legend.
"There are many music icons, from the days of Stax and the Sun era, that still live in Memphis," Oros says, adding that many musicians are available to perform for groups.
Beale Street serves as the center of the city’s current music scene. In the early 1900s it was filled with clubs, restaurants and shops. It remains a bastion for the blues with venues like B.B. King Blues Club and is home to the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum.
The historic Orpheum Theatre, a performing arts venue, sits on a Beale Street corner where the Grand Opera House originally stood. The theater is open to groups, as are Sun Studios and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
For rock fans, Elvis may have left the building, but his Graceland mansion can be used by groups in creative ways, including hosting events at the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.
"A couple of groups had receptions at Graceland and brought in one of the original Memphis mafia that lived at Graceland for eight years, Jerry Schilling," Oros says. "He gives guided tours and personal talks about life with Elvis."
With a nod to the city’s visual arts, The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, which was founded in 1916, can be rented by groups.
One of the city’s largest celebrations, Memphis in May, is a month-long series of events that promotes Memphis’ heritage. Among its main attractions are the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the largest pork barbecue contest in the world.
"It’s the Super Bowl of swine," Oros says.
Another contest growing in popularity is the International Blues Challenge, held at the end of January, when blues artists from all over the world perform all along the venues on Beale Street. The challenge is hosted by the Blues Foundation.
Nashville
As Memphis is to blues and rock and roll, Nashville is to country music. Its tagline "Music City" speaks to the city’s landmark Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame, not to mention a cast of superstars that call Nashville home, commemorated by the Music City Walk of Fame on Nashville’s Music Mile.
"Music is the overarching brand and differentiator for everything we do," says Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville CVB. "One of the most unique and authentic experiences is consuming the music through the songwriter experience. There are more songwriters per square inch or per capita than any city in the world. We excel in either songwriter team-building events or songwriter showcases and an overall entertainment experience."
Nashville is also rife with music venues open to groups, whether hosting a dinner onstage at the Grand Ole Opry House and then bringing in an acoustic performer, holding a reception at the Opry Museum or organizing an event at the renowned Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry.
"The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is also an unbelievable event venue," Spyridon says.
The city’s many honky tonk bars are available for buyouts, such as Legends Corner and Tootsie’s, a popular spot on Honky Tonk Row. Groups can also come for one of the city’s myriad music events, such as the annual CMA Music Festival, held in June, with more than 70 hours of musical performances in four days.
Nashville’s culinary culture is on the rise.
"The dining scene has really exploded in the last two or three years," Spyridon says. "The good thing about it is it has occurred in various neighborhoods throughout the city—The Gulch, East Nashville, 12South. A lot of places have private space as well."
A new trend for groups is using downtown rooftop venues, such as One Eleven and Aerial, as well as a new upstairs patio at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville.
Groups looking for a historic setting can host events at The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home, as well as several well-preserved antebellum plantation houses such as Belle Meade Plantation.
Tours can be organized to Civil War sites south of Nashville in Williamson County, including the town of Franklin, where the devastating Battle of Franklin was fought in 1864.
The State Department of Tourism recently launched the Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways program (www.tntrailsandbyways.com). The first trail mapped was the Old Tennessee Trail, which starts on the square in downtown Franklin.
Knoxville
Named after of the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox, and staking its claim as the state’s first capital, Knoxville is defined by a blend of history and a vibrant arts and culture scene.
"We have the Southern hospitality, historical homes and museums and music events," says Linda Milan, senior sales manager for the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation.
Groups don’t have to wander far to discover pieces of the city’s history. Close to downtown, the Mabry-Hazen House Museum served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Also downtown, the Blount Mansion was the home and capital of the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, William Blount. Receptions can be held on the lawn.
Historic Market Square, which takes its name from the Market House that once stood at its center, is now home to dining, shopping, a twice-weekly farmers market and special events, including the Sundown in the City concert festival on Thursday evenings in the summer.
Knoxville touts its rich arts community. For the past several years a listener-funded radio station, WDVX, has broadcast weekday lunchtime concerts of bluegrass and other varieties from the Knoxville Visitors Center. The city also hosts numerous art festivals, including the 17-day Dogwood Arts Festival in April, which features art shows, crafts fairs, food and live music.
In June, the Kumba festival showcases the city’s African American culture and heritage.
Other arts venues open to groups include the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Bijou Theatre and the Tennessee Theatre.
North of Knoxville, the Museum of Appalachia in Norris depicts the life of settlers in Southern Appalachia. The museum features pioneer artifacts and authentic buildings.
Chattanooga
Chattanooga was a center of battle during the Civil War and was especially known as a hot spot during the Chickamauga Campaign, when Union artillery fired on Chattanooga and later occupied it. The Battle of Chickamauga was the second-bloodiest battle in the Civil War.
"We have a variety of types of theme tours we can provide," says Steve Genovesi, vice president of sales and marketing for the Chattanooga Area CVB, citing numerous history tour options. The Chattanooga History Center, which is moving to the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza in 2012, offers history tours of the city.
Meanwhile, groups can host banquets on the Delta Queen, the last fully operational, overnight passenger steamboat in the country, which is now docked on the Tennessee River as a boutique hotel.
The city brims with Native American history and was a location along the Trail of Tears. Today, glimpses of the city’s Native American history are shown in the city’s public art displays, such as The Passage, a pedestrian link between downtown Chattanooga and the Tennessee River that sits alongside the famed Tennessee Aquarium. It is the nation’s largest public art project celebrating Cherokee history and culture.
The city’s rail history can be explored at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Also, the renovated Terminal Station serves as the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.
On the music front, Chattanooga hosts the Riverbend Festival, an annual nine-day music festival held in June in the downtown area. One of the most popular events is the "Bessie Smith Strut," a one-night showcase of blues and jazz music named for the city’s most noted blues singer.
"We have a growing arts community here," Genovesi says. "Several national artists moved here because of incentives we offer to have a business and own a home."
The city now hosts an annual Downtown Chattanooga Gallery Hop in September, showcasing visual arts, and the 4 Bridges Arts Festival in April. The city’s Hunter Museum of American Art offers art demonstrations and meet-the-artist opportunities.
"Another thing that has emerged is our dining," Genovesi says. "Our claim to fame has been that so many restaurants are using local farms nearby, including our convention center."
The city runs a Sunday farmers market, the Chattanooga Market, at the Tennessee Pavilion from April to December.
Gatlinburg/pigeon forge/sevierville
Surrounded on three sides by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg serves as a launching point for park activities. Close by is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which showcases a number of well-preserved log cabins, grist mills and other historic buildings.
"There are old homesteads preserved by the National Park Service, where you get a feel for how people lived," says David Perella, executive director the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism.
From June to early August, Gatlinburg hosts the annual Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tails, which gives visitors a taste of Appalachian heritage with costumed musical performers, storytellers and artisans portraying various time periods from the 1800s and beyond.
Gatlinburg is also known for its Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, featuring about 120 independent artists and artisans. An eight-mile-loop road dubbed the Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail includes studios, galleries and shops. The Gatlinburg Convention Center also hosts six crafts shows a year, including artist demonstrations.
Pigeon Forge also lends easy access to the Great Smoky Mountains.
"The Smokies is what people most think about this destination," says Leon Downey, director of tourism for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.
Pigeon Forge is also rich in Appalachian heritage, including bluegrass music and home-style cooking. For country cuisine, the Old Mill, which has been in continuous operation since 1830, is open to groups. Also popular with groups is Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show.
While Appalachian culture gives Pigeon Forge its flavor, its meat-and-
potatoes attraction is Dollywood, which highlights the region’s heritage through music and crafts. The amusement park features a dozen theaters presenting over 40 music shows a day. There are also up to 30 working craftspeople demonstrating their skills, such as a master wood carver, candle makers, glass blowers, blacksmiths and quilters.
Dollywood is opening a new attraction, Adventure Mountain, a two-acre expanse of 140 interactive elements such as rope trails, net ladders, swinging bridges, flying islands, pulleys, moving beams and a tire traverse.
The Great Smoky Mountains are also in Sevierville’s backyard, facilitating activities such as hiking, fishing, waterskiing and boating. Adventure options include ATV riding, zip lining and exploring the Forbidden Caverns, known for their wall of white onyx.
"Our overall area is rich in Appalachian heritage and culture—arts and crafts, and down-home cooking," says Amanda Marr, marketing director of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce.
Applewood Farmhouse, a restaurant located in a former farmhouse, caters to groups and also features a working apple orchard. Groups can do wine tasting at Apple Barn Winery.
Sevierville is also the home town of Dolly Parton and a key spot for bluegrass buffs.
Tri-Cities
In the northeast corner of the state is the Tri-Cities area, including the towns of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport. East Tennessee is often called the birthplace of country music, due largely to the 1927 Victor recording sessions in Bristol, when Ralph Peer from the Victor Talking Machine Company traveled to Bristol and recorded 19 artists, helping launch the careers of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and others.
Today the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is helping keep the area’s musical traditions alive. The alliance offers workshops and is currently fundraising for a cultural heritage museum with the hope of opening in the next few years.
"They have been given a building in historic downtown and started a few renovations on the building," says Kimberly Leonard, marketing sales director for the Bristol CVB. "The alliance is also affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute, so when the center is completed it will have traveling exhibits."
For groups, the CVB can organize local musicians to play, according to Leonard. Groups can come for the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, held the third week of September, which attracts some of the best acts in bluegrass, Americana and traditional country.
Another Bristol highlight is its Bristol Motor Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR races each year. Groups can host functions at the track or take in any of the races.
Johnson City, originally a train depot, sits next to Roan Mountain State Park at the base of Roan Mountain. The Appalachian Trail runs through the park. Groups can arrange hikes or head out on kayaks on the Nolichucky River.
Washington County is also home to Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, filled with specialty shops, barbecue eateries and the International Storytelling Center. The center offers a theater with storytellers throughout the year as well as event space.
Since 1973, the National Storytelling Festival has taken over Jonesborough each October for a weekend.
"People from all over the world fly in to tell stories," says Tallie Shelton, director of sales for the Johnson City CVB. "They tell stories about Appalachia and ghost stories."
Kingsport also lures visitors with its outdoor options. The historic 200-mile Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail started in Kingsport. Warriors Path State Park, the most visited state park in Tennessee, also resides in Kingsport, as does Bays Mountain Park, a 3,500-acre nature preserve with 22 miles of hiking and biking trials, a reservoir lake, a nature center and museum, a planetarium and native wildlife habitats.
The town’s historic highlight is the Netherland Inn, originally built by William King between 1802 and 1808 as a salt shipping point. Richard Netherland purchased the inn in 1818 and established it as a spot for travelers along the Old Stage Road.
