NASHVILLE – SEC Party in the Park will be held on Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16 as a free fan activation with live music, food trucks, family-friendly games, and a video screen to watch the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament taking place next door at Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today. The free SEC Party in the Park will kick off at 10 a.m. on both days and is a new joint initiative of the NCVC and the Southeastern Conference.
“The SEC Party in the Park will be a great gathering spot for fans to meet up before, after, and in between games, as well as a family-friendly place for locals and visitors who don’t have game tickets to be part of the tournament atmosphere and cheer on their favorite SEC teams,” said NCVC President and CEO Deana Ivey. “We look forward to bringing live local music to the basketball tournament in a way that only Music City knows how to deliver.”
“SEC Party in Park will be a great addition to the already outstanding fan experience of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament,” said SEC COO Charlie Hussey. “We appreciate the continued support from Nashville and the Music City community.”
Singer-songwriter Phil Vassar will headline SEC Party in the Park with a free performance from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, at Music City Walk of Fame Park. The fan festival will include a video screen to watch the tournament games, food trucks, and cornhole games. The Fieldhouse Bar will offer cold beer, and phone charging stations will be available. More event details are at visitmusiccity.com/events/sec-basketball-tournament/party-in-park. Attendees are invited to bring blankets and collapsible chairs, but no coolers, backpacks, or pop-up tents. (Please see full list of House Rules.) The SEC will host SEC Fan Fare on the plaza at Bridgestone Arena and a section of Rep. John Lewis Way south of Broadway with fan-friendly activities.
This is the 12th year for Nashville to host the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, dating back to 2001. The tournament kicks off with a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 13, and runs to Sunday, March 17, when the championship game is played at 12 p.m. The full Men’s Tournament schedule also is available at www.secsports.com/article.
The Music City Walk of Fame Park stage lineup will include DJs and local musicians representing diverse genres. DJs will perform between games and set changes. All times Central Time.
Friday, March 15
10 a.m. | Music City Walk of Fame Park Event Site Opens
10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | DJ Jason Eskridge
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Les Kerr & The Bayou Band
12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Watch Party for Games 7 and 8
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Joe West Band
6 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. | Watch Party for Games 9 and 10
10:30 p.m. | Park Activities Conclude
Saturday, March 16
10 a.m. | Music City Walk of Fame Park Event Site Opens
10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | DJ Coach
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | The Magi
12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Watch Party for Games 11 and 12
4:30 p.m. –5:40 p.m. | Small Time Rock Stars
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Phil Vassar
7:30 p.m. | Park Activities Conclude
Food trucks will include Chick-fil-A, Pie Town Tacos, and The Tennessee Cobbler Co., along with a Daddy’s Dog kiosk. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available at The Fieldhouse Bar.
Nashville successfully partnered with the SEC last June by hosting SEC Media Days for the first time in Music City. Nashville has been recognized as a top sports city with accolades from the national Sports Business Journal that include being one of the Best Sports Business Cities in 2023 and the Best Sports City in 2019. The NFL Draft hosted in Nashville was named Sports Event of the Year in 2019.
Rep. John Lewis Way from Demonbreun to Broadway will be closed for the events. See the full list of Road Closures associated with the event.
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an artist, songwriter, entertainer, and 2-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year with 10 No. 1 singles and 27 Top 40 hits, including: “Carlene,” “In Real Love,” “Little Rodeo,” “For A Little While,” “Right on the Money,” “Six Pack Summer,” “Last Day of My Life,” “American Soul,” “American Child,” “Bye Bye,” “My Next Thirty Years,” “I’m Alright,” “That’s When I Love You,” “Love is a Beautiful Thing,” “Just Another Day in Paradise” and many more. Looking ahead to 2024, Phil plans to release new music and covers in support of his upcoming tour. philvassar.com
Les Kerr & The Bayou Band
Les Kerr & The Bayou Band offer an upbeat, original combination of music they call “Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll.” Bandleader Les Kerr is a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and former Gulf Coast resident who is a well-established part of Nashville’s music scene. Les Kerr & The Bayou Band have hosted annual Mardi Gras concerts at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe since 1992 and have performed at festivals and events including Let Freedom Sing! July 4th in Nashville, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series (formerly Country Music Marathon), Southern Festival of Books, Red Caboose Park concert series, Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival, and Southern Living Magazine’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Additionally, the band was chosen to perform at Music City Walk of Fame Park in celebration of the Nashville Predators’ run for the Stanley Cup. Les has recorded eleven albums, including his latest, Part of the Show. Les Kerr & the Bayou Band were featured in the TV documentary Civil War Songs and Stories broadcast on PBS stations across the United States. Lyrics of several of Les’ songs have appeared in three volumes of Maple Leaf Rag, a New Orleans Poetry Anthology. A three-time nominee for Music City Blues Society awards, Les has been nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, CD of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year awards. The original Mackinac Blues, a Bayou Band favorite, was included in National Public Radio’s All Songs Considered. The title song of Les’ 2015 Contributor album was inspired by Nashville’s street newspaper and the premier event of the video raised money for the newspaper, The Contributor. The video for Contributor was seen worldwide and was included on CMT.com. leskerr.com
The Magi
Damien Horne, (The Farm), Kenny Carter (Waterdeep, Trump Dawgs,) and David “DJ” Lee (Scratch Track) have merged their individual talents as artists, songwriters, and producers. After years of performing in festivals, stadiums, clubs, and colleges, they have joined forces to bring a positive and encouraging musical experience to uplift souls and inspire a wide variety of audiences. By mixing bass grooves, beatboxing, acoustic guitar, and Soul-Felt vocals, The Magi creates an organic sound that is unique and specifically their own. themagimusic.com
Small Time Rock Stars
Originally started as a way for good friends to have a little fun and blow off some steam, the Small Time Rock Stars have taken on a life of their own. Featuring three members of the band Sixwire - Steve Mandile on guitar and vocals, John Howard on bass and vocals, and Chuck Tilley on drums and vocals - the STRS live in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s rock world and are veterans of the Music City scene. Not only have they played on countless major recordings, but they have also toured in the bands of iconic artists such as Alabama, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Richard Marx, The Rascals, and many others. Collectively, they have also backed up superstars on shows, ranging from Alice Cooper to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. All three STRS are published songwriters with Steve writing hit songs for Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Cagle, Cliff Richard, Phil Vassar, and many more. STRS members have been featured as the house band on USA Network’s Nashville Star for three seasons, and teaming up with the rest of Sixwire, they competed on FOX’s The Next Great American Band, finishing as runner-up. With Steve as Music Director, they served in the house band on CMT’s Can You Duet and CMT’s Next Superstar and also as the backing band for main character Rayna Jaymes on ABC’s dramatic series Nashville. Together, they have been seen on television programs that include Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The GRAMMY Awards, American Idol, CMT’s Flameworthy Awards, The ACM Awards, The CMA Awards and other. They have performed at over 300 games of the Nashville Predators and the Music City Bowl. Along with Sixwire, they performed at the Daytona 500, the NHL All-Star Game, the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final, the U.S. Figure Skating Championship, the 2019 NFL Draft, and Super Bowls 51, 54, 56, 57, along with the most recent 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas. smalltimerockstars.com
Joe West Band
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Joe West is the house band for the Nashville International Airport, and his music serves as a warm welcome to thousands who visit and call Nashville home. He is described as a cross between Kenny Rogers, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and Merle Haggard. He has had multiple performances at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe, private events at the home of the legendary Naomi Judd, opened for The Wooten Brothers and Sara Evans, and shared the stage with Wendy Moten, Country legend Janie Fricke, blues legend Keb’ Mo’. He was a finalist on the Charlie Daniels Round-Up and has performed at Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the National Museum of African American Music, and The Kennedy Center. He is the son of Sarge and Shirley West, the first and only African American Country and Western Duo. He was raised on a healthy diet of traditional country music, rock, folk, blues, and jazz. Joe is a survivor of a dissected aorta and considers his life to be a miracle and himself to be “the richest man in the world.” hestherichestman.com
DJ Coach
Coach has been a staple of the Nashville DJ scene since 2006. He is a Nashville native who has thrown parties such as Whiskey Disco, Recognize, Schwing, Y2K, and Do Not Disturb. He has had three separate parties to win Best Party in Nashville and now has residencies at Rosemary & Beauty Queen, Old Glory, Blind Barber, and The Virgin Pool Club. He has been part of both Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th and New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash. @myycoach on Instagram.
DJ Jason Eskridge
Vocal powerhouse turned DJ, Jason Eskridge has worked extensively in Nashville, either as a background vocalist or opening act for countless award-winning acts, such as Zac Brown Band, Lyle Lovett, Randy Travis, Jonny Lang, Amos Lee, Keb’ Mo’, Nicole C. Mullen, Marc Broussard, Robert Glasper, Chris Tomlin, and Toby Mac. He has also been featured as a guest vocalist on numerous projects as he has traveled across the country and has also taken his music to Japan, South Africa, Amsterdam, India, and England. Jason currently curates and hosts Sunday Night Soul, a monthly soul music series in Nashville that has become one of Nashville’s premier music events. SNS is proudly approaching its 10th year of serving the Nashville music community. @jasoneskridge on Instagram.
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media @VisitMusicCity.
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