The Shine Project at CMA Fest

Last week I happened into a great opportunity to get an inside look at one of Nashville's biggest events of the summer- CMA Fest. CMA Fest is a 4 day country music festival that happens in the heart of downtown Nashville. Tens of thousands of people came from all over the country (and even the world!) to hear from country music's biggest stars, as well as up and coming country artists.

CMA Fest took place Thursday, June 6th to Sunday June 9th. On the Sunday evening before the week of CMA Fest, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a local Nashville business that I follow called The Shine Project (@theshineproject) asking for girls to help run a booth for them at CMA Fest. I have wanted to go to CMA Fest, but because my husband works everyday I didn't want to purchase tickets to go by myself. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to earn some money for a few days and get a glimpse of CMA fest while I'm living here in Nashville.

The Shine Project booth was located in the Xfinity Fan Fair X inside the Music City Center. The Xfinity Fan Fair X had 2 stages, meet and greets with artists, vendor booths, and concession areas. It is a really popular location during the CMA Fest because it is indoors and gives fans a break from the outdoors and the heat (air conditioning!). This year the Fan Fair was great because it rained almost every day of the weekend, so it was a place to hear music and stay dry.

Our booth was located near the Radio Disney Country stage, so I got to hear live music while I was working. Some of my favorites that I heard were Locash and Tenille Townes. A lot of artists that I didn't recognize played on the indoor stages because they are smaller stages, but it was still such a fun atmosphere. Fans were lined up throughout the convention center to meet country artists and their energy was contagious. As people shopped The Shine Project booth they couldn't help but clap, dance, and sing. It was such a fun thing to be a part of, especially because I love country music!

I also loved the company I was working for. The Shine Project is a small business based in Nashville with another location in Phoenix, Arizona. They employ inner city youth to help them become first generation college students. The students hand make beautiful jewelry pieces that they each sign so that you can see which student made your piece. I loved being able to tell people about the company's inspiring mission and raise money for first generation college students. The Shine Project recently closed their Nashville store, but they still sell online. Check out their website to learn more! https://theshineproject.com/

I didn't get any pictures because I was busy working, but I was so glad I got to experience a small part of CMA Fest. I could also hear the concerts at Nissan Stadium from my apartment each night, so I had fun sitting on my patio and seeing what songs I could hear over the highway noises (#citylife).

If you are a country music fan, I would definitely recommend CMA Fest. It isn't for the faint of heart because it is 4 full days of nonstop fun- and it could be in the pouring rain like it was this year!