If you’re a country music lover, you’re probably planning on going to CMA Fest! Don’t know what I’m talking about? CMA Fest is a yearly music festival put on by the Country Music Association in Nashville. It’s a huge, three day event where stages and vendors pop up around downtown Nashville. Tens of thousands of people crowd the streets eating, drinking and listening to live music on free stages all day. Each night closes with a show at Nissan Stadium; a four hour concert hosting an assortment of artists per night. Garth Brooks wasn’t scheduled to perform but randomly popped up at the 2017 show! You really never know who you’ll see, but you’re bound to have an amazing time.

Seasoned CMA Fest goers will probably agree with me, it’s a busy time and can be extremely exhausting. To help you out, I’ve come up with the top five tips on how to have the best time at CMA Fest while staying sane, rested and ready to go the following Monday when you show up to work.

 

1. Hydrate

If you plan on spending the day out and about, drink plenty of water! Your inclination will be to drink sugary drinks or beer – which is awesome – but can tend to dehydrate you. Then factor in the sun and three days later you’ll be dehydrated and exhausted.

2. Sunblock

Speaking of sun, most of the CMA Fest activities are outdoors. Some are tented, others not so much. Expect to basically be soaking up sun all day; you’ll want to protect your skin! Also – don’t be fooled if the CMA Fest forecast calls for some cloudy weather. When that Nashville sun hits, it scorches!

3. Be flexible

You can visit the CMA Fest website to see where all the stages and vendors will be set up and the lineup for both. If you have someone specific you want to see, plan accordingly. You can start your day on one end of downtown and work your way around depending on the plan. That said, be flexible. You might run into friends or make new friends who might change the itinerary. Go with the flow!

4. Nap

I repeat, Nashville gets hot in the summer. Since most of the activities mean walking around outside, you will probably get sweaty and stinky during the day. That can also be really exhausting! My best advice is to make your plan and allow a gap in the afternoon for a quick shower and nap. You’ll feel clean and rested when you go back out for the night concerts!

5. Soak it all in!

CMA Fest is a lot. Lots of people, lots of artists, lots to do. Enjoy it!

*P.S.: I barely took any photos of myself at CMA Fest. I was grossly sweaty and having such a good time I forgot to take photos. The ones I did take were all nighttime, bad quality photos!

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