Whether you adore or despise snow, after a couple of days stuck inside you’re probably ready to get out-and-about. Fortunately, there’s a lot to do around town this weekend. So if you haven’t already, shovel your driveway and checkout some of these highlights.

 

 

GAYLORD OPRYLAND ‘WINTERFEST’

The wonders of winter are celebrated at Gaylord Opryland Resort with a trio of activities designed to evoke the charm of the chilliest of seasons during the resort’s annual Winterfest celebration. With the temperatures dropping daily during the winter months in Tennessee, guests of Gaylord Opryland can take part in arctic-inspired, family-friendly events every weekend from January 7 through February 27.

 

A Winter-ful, Sleuthing Search
Snowy sleuths can put their heads together to solve polar puzzles throughout the resort in Jack Frost’s Frigid Finds Scavenger Hunt. Riddles and hints will be “winter-twined” to create a fun activity for the whole family as participants race to find all the cryptic clues to Jack Frost’s frosty fun. Successful scavengers will receive a prize for their efforts. Tickets for Jack Frost’s Frigid Finds Scavenger Hunt must be purchased in advance online.

 

Thrilling Winter Attractions at Pinetop
Guests can visit Pinetop, the resort’s “Appalachian-esque” outdoor area for extra winter thrills. Ice tube down a four lane, 15-foot hill made with real ice or test your driving skills with ice bumper cars, where you can slide, zoom and bump around on ice. Enjoy a wintry glide on the resort’s 9,000 square-foot outdoor ice skating rink and for additional entertainment, an all-new Fire & Ice Skating Show will take place at Pinetop, which features champion skaters, big jumps, fast spins,  and awe-inspiring throws and lifts.

 

 

Additional Winterfest Activities
Visit the Frigid Fun Zone for some crafty fun with activities like cookie decorating. Hop aboard a Winter Riverboat Ride that cruises down the resort’s 4.5-acre Delta Atrium. Also, inside the resort’s spacious atriums, guests can marvel at mesmerizing Winter Fountain Shows, which incorporate water synchronized to music and lights. Step outside to experience a private horse-drawn carriage ride or to take in the three million stunning lights displayed on the Magnolia lawn.

 

Packages and Tickets
Winterfest packages are available featuring special guest room rates including select event tickets. For more information about Winterfest events at Gaylord Opryland and to book an overnight stay, packages or tickets, guests may visit GaylordOpryland.com.

 

 

HERMITAGE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS COMMEMORATION

Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage will host its annual Battle of New Orleans Commemoration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8 with Secretary of State of Tennessee Tre Hargett lined up as the keynote speaker. The event pays tribute to the American victory during the War of 1812, also known as the battle that propelled General Andrew Jackson to national fame. Grounds Passes to the site will be free to the public with a wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m.

 

 

Visitors are invited to the annual wreath laying at the tomb of General Jackson, featuring the presentation of colors, keynote address with Hargett, as well as the Tennessee National Guard and Tennessee Society United States Daughters of 1812. Following the presentation, wreaths will be laid on the tomb to honor both General Jackson and his wife, Rachel.

 

The grounds pass allows visitors access to 1,120 acres of history and tranquility—perfect for learning more about Jackson and the site. Included is the audio tour, historic garden, field quarters, historical markers, wildlife, hiking trail and historic buildings.

 

The Mansion Tour, which includes a tour of the Hermitage mansion, is available for purchase that day, as well as tickets to both the In Their Footsteps: Lives of the Hermitage Enslaved Tour and the VIP Tour.

 

Visitors unable to attend the Battle of New Orleans can take advantage of the Hermitage’s 2 for $22 ticket promotion throughout the month of January.

 

For more information about the Battle of New Orleans, visit thehermitage.com or follow Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage on Facebook, Instagram (@7thpresident) and Twitter (@7thpresident).

 

 

FRIST ART MUSEUM BUILDING REPURPOSING CELEBRATIONS

An exhibit commemorating the repurposing of a Nashville landmark opens Saturday at The Frist Art Museum.

 

A Landmark Repurposed celebrates the historic building that the Frist Art Museum is privileged to occupy—Nashville’s former main post office.

 

 

Commemorating the Frist’s 20th anniversary, this reimagined exhibition with updated design and expanded narrative highlights the building’s role as a civic institution, from its creation as the city’s main post office in 1934 to its reopening as an art museum on April 8, 2001. Through archival images, architectural drawings, “Then and Now” photographs, news clippings, and original planning documents, guests will learn about the building’s distinctive architectural styles, as well as how historical events affected the construction and function of the post office.

 

The building has long been central to the life of the city. During its construction, unemployed workers gathered by the hundreds at the building site, seeking jobs. World War II soldiers sent last letters to loved ones before boarding trains next door at Union Station on their way to the European front. Every April, long lines of last-minute tax filers formed, with postal workers sometimes accepting the returns in the street.

 

In 1984, the post office building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. Two years later, however, a new main postal distribution center was constructed on Royal Parkway, near Nashville International Airport, and much of the old building was no longer needed. After years of deliberation and with community demand, a solution for the building’s future was determined. Through a unique public-private partnership between Metro Nashville government and Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., the building would be transformed into a visual arts center.

 

The building began its second life as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts on April 8, 2001, with the mission to present and originate high quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. On April 2, 2018, the name was formally changed to the Frist Art Museum to convey more clearly what visitors can expect when entering the building.

 

Images courtesy Gaylord Opryland Resort, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and Frist Art Museum.