BrentFest got the city’s 50th birthday party started. Even from a distance, the minute you heard the music through the trees, the celebratory atmosphere caught you, and like the Pied Piper drew you to Crockett Park. There was dancing and singing and moving to Guilty Pleasures.
Young, old, or in between, everyone was having a good time. It felt more like a neighborhood party or a family reunion than a city-wide event. Many participants had walked or biked from their neighborhood, sharing space with friends that they waved to in the crowd as they arrived – children and dogs in tow.
New Williamson County resident Kathie Lee Gifford was even in attendance and posted this video on Instagram:
Centered around the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater, there were food truck, a beer garden, and bouncy slides for the kids all stationed around the periphery. Tractor Supply Company had a prize booth, and Brentwood Academy had a man making balloon art. Other booths offered activities and information about everything from the history of Brentwood to how to do better in school.
Food trucks offered a variety of options, from shave-ice to seafood, and from grilled cheese to cobbler. And of course, there was ice cream.
As the afternoon headed towards evening, the dancing continued to the sounds of Rock and Roll Pianos and ending with Tim Acres and the Smoking Section.
Mayor Rhea Little, Commissioner Nelson Andrews, and representatives from event sponsors offered welcome to the crowd. Tractor Supply Company was the presenting sponsor of BrentFest, and platinum sponsors were Andrews Transportation Group, Brentwood Academy, Brookdale, and LBMC. For a complete list of sponsors, click here.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out to this event,” said Mayor Little, “and thanks to all of our sponsors for making this event possible.”
A safe carnival atmosphere allowed for plenty of dancing, playing, enjoying the great food truck selections, or lounge in the shade sipping beer from the selection of local craft and national beers. More than six thousand attended according to city officials.
BrentFest is the second of three events planned to observe Brentwood’s 50th anniversary of becoming incorporated as a city. The first event was the Golden Gallop Parade, which took place in April to kick off the year-long celebration. The last event will be on October 10th at Ravenswood Mansion in Marcella Vivrette Smith Park. All three of these events, are the brainchild of the 50th Anniversary Steering Committee. The committee is composed of Shelley Alexander, Gina Gunn, Linda Hirsch, Michael Kaplan, John Maygar, Jared Peters, Jodi Altsman Rall, Sandra Tanksley, Paula Uhlir ex officio member City Commissioner Nelson Andrews, and chairwoman Vicki Sanford.
To learn more about the history of Brentwood, click here.
As the sun began to set over BrenFest, one mother turned to her son, as they were heading towards home, and said, “That was so much fun, people are going to want it to happen every year.”
