The Music City Center grand opening is here and scheduled for May 19 and 20. The two-day grand opening activities include a star-studded Nashville lineup and free open house for the public. Join Mayor Karl Dean for a ‘Walk with the Mayor’ just prior to the center’s opening on Sunday, May 19 at 1:30 pm from the Walk of Fame Park to the entrance of the Music City Center where the mayor will open the doors to the public for the first time to preview the 1.2 million-square-foot convention center.

“I invite all Nashvillians to be a part of this special weekend in our city’s history,” Mayor Dean said. “I’m especially pleased that the Nashville Symphony and the Songwriters Hall of Fame will be a part of the festivities. The diversity of music they represent is at the very heart of who we are as Music City and is a key reason we are so attractive to the visitor and convention industry.”

The Nashville Symphony’s program on Sunday from 3-3:45 pm in the Grand Ballroom will be led by Associate Conductor Kelly Corcoran and includes the opening movement from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, a movement from Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful Scheherazade and the rousing finale from Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.

“The Nashville Symphony is honored to be part of this opening celebration,” said President/CEO Alan Valentine. “We are excited to welcome our new neighbor, and we look forward to the remarkable vitality that Music City Center will bring to our downtown neighborhood and to the entire city of Nashville.”

Sunday activities also will include Live Music on the Plaza from 3-7 pm and a Celebration Center in the building’s 350,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall with family-friendly activities, including: a zip line by Adventureworks; a climbing wall; obstacle course; mechanical bull; and inflatable slides. The grand opening of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, with some of Nashville’s most renowned songwriters, welcomes visitors from 2:30-4:30 pm on the main floor near the corner of Sixth Avenue and Demonbreun Street.

In the Davidson Ballroom, a varied selection of music from 2:30 – 5:30 pm will include Barbershop Singing; the Gospel Music Association with Kairo, featuring Nathan & Suzanne and the Soul Choir; the Nashville Opera; and bluegrass duo, The Roys. Other musicians and singers will entertain visitors as they tour the building.

Monday, the ribbon cutting ceremony is at 9 am, after which Mayor Dean will deliver the State of Metro address at 10 am. The public open house is from 5-7 pm, and the grand opening concert is from 6-9 pm featuring the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Sheryl Crow, The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill, and Mikky Ekko. All activities are free and open to the public.

If you want to know more about the Music City Center, visit their website at <www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com>.