City Cast Nashville
🎒 Are school vouchers working?
October 20, 2025 · — Natalia Aldana ✨
Happy Monday! "No Kings" rallies took place across the country on Saturday, with an estimated 7,000 people turning out in Nashville on the hill behind the Tennessee State Capitol to protest the Trump administration's policies. After performances from artists including Allison Russell and Emmylou Harris, some demonstrators moved across Bicentennial Mall to Jefferson Street, where they peacefully overlapped with the Southern Festival of Books. No disruptions or arrests were reported.
What's CITY Talking About
🎒 What We Know About TN’s School Voucher Program
Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act awarded 20,000 private school vouchers statewide this fall, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton says he wants that number to double in 2026. But is the program working? On today’s episode, we’re walking through the rollout, the data, and the challenges educators, families, and students may be facing. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
🌳 North Nashville Parking Lot to Become Greenspace
A parking lot near the Tío Fun Taqueria is being transformed into a green space to reduce runoff and protect the Tiger Bay wetland. The Cumberland River Compact project will add trees and invite local partnerships to improve local water quality. [WKRN]
- Plus: As urban sprawl continues, and even more trash gets dumped in local waterways, can our wetlands be saved? [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
✈️ New BNA App for People with Vision, Hearing Disabilities
Through the use of vibrations, audio cues, and larger text, the GoodMaps app is providing airport accessibility and assistance with hearing and vision issues. The app will also launch at Memphis International Airport. [NewsChannel5]
🛣️ NDOT Shifting Hiring Practices to Improve Road Safety
Nashville’s Department of Transportation is testing an in-house road safety program. So far, the city says they’re completing safety projects at three times the speed as before and for the same price by shifting work away from contractors. [WSMV]
- Why does this matter? We discussed why NDOT should move this work in-house during a recent debate about downtown pedestrian safety. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
What To Do
Monday, Oct. 20
- 🛒 Free Grocery Distribution | Richland Hills Apartments | 3:45-5:15 p.m. | Volunteer
- 📚 Kids’ Writing Workshop with Adam Rosenbaum | Parnassus Books | 4:30-5:30 p.m.
- ♟️ Chess Club | Donelson Library Branch | 6-7 p.m. | Free
- 🎵 Mac Saturn | Eastside Bowl | 7 p.m.
- 😆 New Material Monday | Zanies | 7 p.m.
- ⏺️ Vinyl Nights | Dawn at Bode Hotel | 7-10 p.m.
- 🎶 Sleeping At Last | Ryman Auditorium | 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
- 📽️ Nashville Jewish Film Festival (through Nov. 6) | Multiple times & locations
- 🐦 Fall Migration Bird Banding | Warner Park Nature Center | 8 a.m.-Noon | Free
- 🧷 Diaper Bank Sorting and Packaging | Nashville Diaper Connection | 9 & 11 a.m. | Volunteer
- 💉 Free Flu Vaccines | Goodlettsville Library Branch | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- 🫖 Harvest Teas (through Oct. 30) | Cheekwood | 3-4:30 p.m.
- 📝 Screenwriting Class with The Porch | Bellevue Library Branch | 6-7:30 p.m. | Free
- 🏒 Nashville Predators vs. Anaheim Ducks | Bridgestone Arena | 7 p.m.
- 🎃 Girl Halloween Trivia | Vinyl Tap | 7 p.m.
- 🎥 The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Schermerhorn Symphony Center | 7:30 p.m.
- 🎵 Blues Traveler | Ryman Auditorium | 7:30 p.m.
- 🎶 Love Now Sessions With Sheryl Crow | Woolworth Theatre | 7:30 p.m.
⭐ Our event pick of the week: OZ Arts opens their 2025-2026 season Thursday night with “Le Grand Bal” from French dance company Compagnie Dyptik. It’s described as a “profound liberation from the pressures of modern-day life,” and that sure sounds nice right about now.
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