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| What Nashville's Talking About |
|  | A City Cast showdown. (Courtesy of City Cast) |
| ☀️ Your Summer Vacation Plans | It’s summer vacation showdown time! On today’s podcast, all 12 City Cast cities compete to see which one is the best for a weekend trip this summer. From hot-tub boats to epic outdoor summer festivals, our hosts are bringing the best of what their cities have to offer this season. Can Nashville beat our competitors? Tune in to find out. [🎧 City Cast Nashville] | | 🧑⚖️ TN Highway Patrol Faces Lawsuit | The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Highway Patrol, claiming its collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement violates the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable seizures. The lawsuit also alleges THP’s “tag-team” efforts with ICE violate the Equal Protection Clause’s prohibition on racial profiling. [Tennessee Lookout] | | | 🌳 Council Asks for Tree-Trimming Study | At Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting, councilmembers passed a resolution urging Nashville Electric Service to suspend new tree-trimming practices until a study can be completed to determine the “necessity and increased efficacy” of those practices. NES board chair Anne Davis says the utility company changed its approach following community feedback. [Nashville Scene] | | 💰 Where’s Our Taxpayer Money Going? | Councilmembers are also considering Mayor O’Connell’s proposed budget and any changes they would like to make to it. As part of that process, the council has been hearing from local agencies, like the Office of Homeless Services, which has the highest percentage increase in funding in the proposed budget. Here’s a list of other funding requests from Nashville agencies. [WPLN] | - One of OHS’s budget asks is $2.7 million to, in part, “increase tourism.” [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
- Nashville residents can weigh in on the budget and what they’d like to see covered at Metro Council’s June 2 meeting. [Nashville Banner]
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| | | America the Beautiful: National Parks & Landmarks by Rail | May 2 – September 6 | All aboard! With 10 trains, 850 feet of track, and 25 iconic American destinations, this is Cheekwood’s largest outdoor train exhibit yet. Travel from coast to coast — no suitcase required. From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, each miniature model is a masterpiece of botanical architecture handcrafted from plant materials. Cheekwood’s permanent TRAINS! exhibit is also open, doubling the fun. |
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| The Best Playgrounds in Nashville |
|  | Fannie Mae Dees Park. (Margaret Kingsbury / City Cast Nashville) |
| With kids out for the summer, it’s the perfect time to explore Nashville’s many playgrounds. Here are five of my favorites, from nature fun to imaginative play. | | | Otherwise known as Dragon Park, this is my favorite playground in Nashville, primarily because I’m a sucker for dragons. The giant mosaic dragon is so cool. The playground equipment is pretty typical, with lots of climbing structures, a couple of slides and swings, a separate toddler area, and my kid’s favorite, a merry-go-round that looks sorta like a UFO. It gets bonus points for plenty of parent seating and shade. | | | Okay, I lied, this is my favorite playground in Nashville. Instead of traditional equipment, nature playgrounds use natural elements like sticks, water pumps, wood cabins, and sand pits. This one, behind the Warner Park Nature Center, is semi-enclosed by a fence and has a nearby picnic shelter. You can head inside the nature center if you get too hot, or explore a shaded storybook trail. There’s also a wonderful nature playground at Shelby Park & Bottoms, but the Warner Park one edges it out because there’s a shallow creek beside it, perfect for creek stomping! Make sure to bring some creeking sandals, and keep an eye out for crawdads! | | | | | This East Nashville favorite has something for every age. The main playground set has a separate area for big kids and littles, while teens can enjoy the basketball courts. As a bonus, the Inglewood Elementary School playground is right across the street, and open to the public when school is out. Two for the price of one! The playground is located at the Inglewood Community Center, where you’ll find bathrooms and water fill-ups. | | | Head to Peay Park in Goodlettsville for this giant, inclusive playground where all kids are welcome. The playground is specifically designed to be disability-friendly, with wheelchair-accessible equipment, soft surfaces, and sensory features for kids on the autism spectrum. My kid especially loves the imaginative play areas, with mini cabins and musical instruments. There’s a splash pad right next to it, so bring bathing suits and towels. | | |
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Vince Gill nailed it at his first Tiny Desk performance. Watch it here! |
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