2013 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL FILLED WITH FREE LIVE MUSIC

NASHVILLE – The 2013 CMA Music Festival will take over downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, with six free stages in the outdoor footprint and countless activities.

Tickets for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field sold out as fast as tickets for rodeo events were sold that year. But fans will still have innumerable opportunities to watch Country Music’s best and brightest perform at CMA Music Festival. Performance lineups for the previously announced Chevrolet Riverfront Stage and Bud Light Stage at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza are available for fans to view at CMAfest.com, but those schedules merely scratch the surface of what fans can experience throughout the four-day Festival.

Downtown Nashville will be full of unique fan experiences, including free outdoor areas offering everything from autograph signings, meet-and-greets, cell phone charging stations, product demonstrations, auctions, giveaways, and more. All outdoor spaces are free and open to the public. These areas include:

Transitions Performance Park

New in 2013, Transitions® adaptive lenses – the Official Sponsor of Sightseeing™ – will host Transitions Performance Park where fans can get an enhanced view of the CMA Music Festival by checking out the sights atop Transitions’ two-story viewing platform. Fans will be able to test the Transitions family of products, look through customized viewfinders, and star in their own professional photo shoot – complete with a set, crew, props, and a photographer.

In addition, Transitions Performance Park will be filled with other fun activities. Come relax in oversized eyewear cabanas providing protection from the sun and grab a variety of eye-healthy snacks, all while enjoying free concerts on the Transitions Performance Park Stage. The legendary Marshall Tucker Band will make their first-ever CMA Music Festival appearance and kick things off on Thursday, June 6 at 11:00 AM. Other artists participating in the daily concerts include (alphabetical order; artists and schedule subject to change):

Thursday, June 6: Ash Bowers, Tim Dugger, Flynnville Train, Marshall Tucker Band, Old Dominion, Chad Warrix, Holly Williams, and Jon Wolfe

Friday, June 7: The Cleverlys, Due West, Clare Dunn, Hudson Moore, Danielle Peck, Julie Roberts, Gwen Sebastian, and Phoenix Stone

Saturday, June 8: Jeff Bates, The Cadillac Three, Cowboy Troy, Jaida Dreyer, Morgan Frazier, Old Southern Moonshine Revival, Frank Ortega, and The Stickers

Sunday, June 9: Blackjack Billy, The Brothers Road, Kristy Lee Cook, High Valley, Carly Pearce, Stephanie Quayle, Sweetwater Rain, and A Thousand Horses

Transitions Performance Park is located in the Walk of Fame Park on Demonbreun between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. The park is free and open to the public from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 and from 10:00 AM–5:00 PM on Sunday, June 9.

The Buckle

Covering three bustling blocks of Broadway, legions of ultimate fans know that The Buckle is where the excitement and thrills of CMA Music Festival come together.

The Buckle Stage will host a variety of free performances and activities beginning with concerts presented by ASCAP on Thursday, June 6 and Sunday, June 9 from 11:00 AM–4:30 PM. Performers include (alphabetical order; artists and schedule subject to change):

Thursday, June 6: Brent Anderson, Brian Burke, Karli Chayne, Steven Clawson, Clare Dunn, Josh Grider, Curtis Grimes, Austin Jenckes, Cody Johnson, Michaelis, Dylan Scott, Madeleine Slate, Two Story Road, Allison Veltz, Zane Williams, and Trent Willmon

Sunday, June 9: Chris Cavanaugh, Corey Crowder, Kalisa Ewing, Victoria Ghost, Adam Hambrick, JT Harding, Kris Hitchcock, Camaron Ochs, Brent Rupard, SaraBeth Taite, and Hailey Whitters

On Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM, the ABC Television Network returns to the CMA Music Festival with the ABC Summer Block Party. There will be special appearances by ABC fan favorites including Jason Thompson and Nancy Lee Grahn (“General Hospital”) and Chef Carla Hall (“The Chew”), musical performances, autograph signings, games, photos, free giveaways and much more! On Saturday, Nashville’s own Grilled Cheeserie Truck will be serving up free grilled cheese sandwiches inspired by ABC’s «The Chew.”

In addition to these special events, The Buckle will play host to wall-to-wall activities including The History Channel’s “Cross-Country Cookout” and appearances by the stars of the network’s hit TV series «Swamp People» in both The History Channel and Gander Mountain booths. Fans can pinball between scrumptious free food samples, one-of-a-kind trip giveaways, killer karaoke, competitive games, and more from other exhibitors including AT&T U-verse, Bad Boy Buggies, BIC FlameDisc, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Carl Black Chevrolet, Cracker Barrel, Diet Mountain Dew, GAC, Jelly Belly, U.S. Marines, Martin Guitars, Transitions, and Wrangler.

The Buckle is located on Broadway from First to Fourth Avenues. The area is open to the public from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 and from 10:00 AM–5:00 PM on Sunday, June 9.

Fan Alley

If CMA Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience, then Fan Alley is where that experience gets cranked up to the maximum level!

Tucked into the area in front of the magical Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Fan Alley welcomes its namesake (the fans!) into a warm community where memories will be shared and friendships made.

The Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage in Fan Alley will feature daily concerts with two dozen of Country’s best rising talent from Noon–3:00 PM each day. Hit-maker Carolyn Dawn Johnson will kick off the performances with other additional performances from (alphabetical order; artists and schedule subject to change):

Thursday, June 6: Kenny Foster, Friends of Lola, Johnson,Pete Kennedy, Lisa Matassa, and Sundy Best

Friday, June 7: Tyler Barham, Eric Lee Beddingfield, Weston Burt, Courtney Cole, Striking Matches, and Carrie Zaruba

Saturday, June 8: Dakota Bradley, Brianna De Alba, Lyndsey Highlander, Rachel Holder, Kingston, and Austin Webb

Sunday, June 9: Cerrito, Zach Lockwood, Joanna Mosca, Josh Mullins, and Pierce Avenue

Lipton Iced Tea will host a “tea” ball competition for prizes while offering up samples of the brand’s refreshing iced tea flavors. Fan Alley will also offer exciting experiences for fans over 21. Jack Daniel’s will offer free mobile distillery tours, trivia games, and opportunities to purchase merchandise. Team Cocktail will be serving up tasty cocktails, awesome apparel, artist autograph signings, and the opportunity to win a Caribbean cruise for two.

Fan Alley is located in front of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Fourth Avenue South. The area is open from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM Thursday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 and from 10:00 AM–5:00 PM on Sunday, June 9.

BMI Tailgate Party

Returning to the CMA Music Festival for a second year is the BMI Tailgate Party. Located right off the Cumberland River outside LP Field, the stage will feature a strong selection of BMI’s songwriters, artists, and DJ Du warming up the audience before they enter LP Field for the Nightly Concerts beginning at 4:30 PM.

Performers at the BMI Tailgate Party include (alphabetical order; artists and schedule subject to change):

Thursday, June 6: Joel Crouse, Joey Hyde, and Thomas Rhett

Friday, June 7: Lindsay Ell, David Fanning, and Josh Thompson

Saturday, June 8: Native Run, Jon Pardi, and Westbound Rangers

Sunday, June 9: Brazilbilly, Curious Band, and The Railers

Ninth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade and Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party

Everything gets started with the Ninth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade on Wednesday, June 5 at 11:00 AM. The parade will make its way down Broadway from Tenth to First Avenue with Country Music superstar Kix Brooks serving as Grand Marshal. In addition to numerous Country Music artists and other celebrities riding in a wide variety of Chevrolet vehicles, the parade will feature the Keep the Music Playing All Stars Marching Band, which is made up of high school musicians representing several Metro Nashville Public Schools, the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, balloons, and more.

Following the procession, the fun will kick into high gear with The Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party. Fans can gather at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage for the kick off with The Henningsens followed by Brazilbilly, The Lacs, The Cadillac Three, and headliner Joe Diffie. Lyndsey Highlander will perform the national anthem.

CMA Social Media Ticket Giveaways

Despite tickets to the LP Field Nightly Concert series being sold out, fans can win their way into the best seats in the house for CMA Music Festival’s star-studded showcases. Between Monday, May 27 and Friday, May 31, CMA will give away a pair of tickets each day across the organization’s social media channels starting with fifth row seats through Google+ on Monday; followed by fourth row tickets via Instagram Tuesday; third row seats via Pinterest Wednesday; second row seats Thursday via Twitter; and culminating with front-row seats Friday via Facebook. In addition, CMA will run a weeklong contest during the same window to give away 50 pairs of passes to the all-new AT&T® U-verse® Fan Fair X experience at Music City Center. Full details on how to enter can be found at Blog.CMAfest.com beginning Monday, May 27. And for access to CMA Music Festival details, news alerts and special promotions, fans should connect with CMA across all digital platforms.

With 11 total stages and many free lifestyle exhibits to explore throughout the Festival footprint in Nashville, CMA Music Festival is a fantastic, family-friendly entertainment value. It all officially kicks off Thursday, June 6 with «Lady A Day at FFX» featuring Lady Antebellum performing, signing autographs, and cutting the ribbon when Fan Fair X officially opens to fans. Fan Fair X is free to four-day ticket holders, but tickets to this exciting new attraction are available to fans for $10 a day or $25 for four days Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, with children 12 and younger admitted for free.

Daily and Four-Day tickets for AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X are available through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com, the CMA Music Festival Box Office by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), or onsite at the registration area of Fan Fair X (price includes handling fees).

Additionally, four-day tickets to the 2014 CMA Music Festival, held June 5-8, 2014, went on sale nationwide Monday, May 20, at Ticketmaster.com and 1-800-CMA-FEST. Fans will also be able to purchase 2014 CMA Music Festival tickets at this year’s event by visiting the . Following four years of consecutive LP Field sellouts, fans are encouraged to buy early for best-available seating. Visit CMAfest.com for details.

Fans can stay in the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news. Fans can also connect with CMA at Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic, Pinterest.com/CMAworld, and Instagram.com/CMA_Country_Music_Association.

“If You See Something, Say Something” at CMA Music Festival

At CMA Music Festival, the safety of our attendees, artists, staff, and volunteers is of utmost importance. Therefore, CMA will be utilizing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something” program to raises public awareness of indicators of terrorism-related crime and the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper local law enforcement authorities.

All of those in attendance at CMA Music Festival are asked to be vigilant in reporting suspicious behavior and situations and are encouraged to text ALERT (space) and the LOCATION of the suspicious activity to 66937. There will also be a special Festival law enforcement phone number posted throughout the event area for attendees to call to report suspicious activity. See CMAfest.com for more information.