Metro Parks celebrated ‘May Fest’ with an entire day of fun, history and great music at historic Hadley Park on May 1.
The first event of the day celebrated National Kids to Parks Day. Hadley Park Community Center hosted an entire morning of fun activities for children ages 6-14, beginning at 9 am. Kids were able to interact and engage in relay races, tug-of-war contests, and games. Sponsored by the National Park Trust, the mission of Kids to Parks Day is to create awareness with the younger generation about the vital importance of parks and outdoor experiences. The day is always hosted on the third Saturday in May.
The event goers got to witness the official opening of Hadley Park’s new picnic pavilion and signage. The free-form-roof pavilion, located at the corner of 28th Ave. North and Albion streets, is an airy structure that creates a feeling of openness and space. It is designed to anchor this high-profile corner of the park and celebrate the culture of the surrounding community with colorful, patterned ceiling panels inspired by traditional African textiles. A new masonry monument sign on the corner also incorporates the textile motif as well as the name of the park (official name pending a decision by the Tennessee Historical Commission).
Later in the day, the popular local band Brassville kicked off the May Music Fest at Hadley Park Bandshell. The event was organized in conjunction with the Tennessee Arts Commission and Creative Parks Nashville. Comprised of musicians from Tennessee State and Howard Universities, Brassville was formed with the intention of bringing the vision of the brass band tradition typically seen in and around New Orleans to the Nashville area. There were also performances by The Imperial Blues Hour and Café Cola’o. The Imperial Blues Hour is an electric blues trio featuring Jack Ruch, who is quickly becoming the most sought-after guitarist on YouTube and Instagram. Café Cola’o completes the bill by playing the traditional sounds of Latin America. Renowned spoken word artist Sommer Jade served as the emcee for the day. Based out of Nashville, Sommer Jade infuses poetry and spoken word with music to create Poeti Verses.
