Concerts & Events in Nashville

Boasting five all stars in the 2011 Prospect League, the Nashville Outlaws look to continue their ascent toward the top spot in the West Division. With the season coming down to the wire, contests against the first-place Quincy Gems (August 1–August 3) and league rivals the Dubois County Bombers (August 5–August 6) take on playoff implications, their stakes raised like a flag made of filet mignon. The slugging showdowns throw down at the recently renovated Dugan Field, where muscles flex under brilliant stadium lights on turf handsomely outfitted in team colors. Munch on two included hot dogs as the athletic action picks up speed, or use the meaty cylinders to get in some batting practice of your own, swinging at the nearest pair of disco-ball earrings.

A real stock car roars around a banked oval track. As it navigates the chicanes and wrestles g-forces to the floor, a coach's voice crackles in the driver's ear. This isn’t the Indy 500; it's L.A. Racing. Featured on NBC Today in L.A., L.A. Racing's Adventure programs let would-be racers grip the wheel during fast-forward laps around a real track. This video shows the rubber meeting the road at Irwindale Speedway.

Inside, L.A. Racing's instructors educate new drivers with BlueTiger simulators, helping them get a feel for new tracks and learn to follow the proper line through turns. These practice cars feature realistic racing effects—engine vibrations, road-surface texture, bumping, and deer attacks, for example. Competition courses are available for drivers who want to take racing to the next level and master advanced techniques such as throttle control, trail braking, and passing.

Amid the sprawling halls of Hendersonville Expo Center, outdoor enthusiasts wend through upwards of 100,000 square feet of displays helmed by thousands of local and regional purveyors of outdoor recreational equipment for land and sea. Fleets of RVs and personal watercrafts sit patiently as visitors daydream about future fresh air adventures or daring action movies they could film aboard the crafts. An onsite food court prevents stomachs from interrupting leisurely strolls through the show with whining growls.

The Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce's Family Food Festival spotlights tasty local cuisine amid a spirited, family-friendly outdoor bash that helps support local food pantry The Well. Between bites of samples from area eateries such as Samboli's Pizzeria and Whisker's Catfish Restaurant, attendees can exercise thumbs at an arcade station and traverse an inflatable obstacle course, racing for glory against fellow guests or balloons twisted into cheetah shapes. To ensure safety, all children's activities are held under professional supervision.

Since 1998, ProCamps Worldwide has bridged the gap between pro athletes and their fans with a variety of instructional youth camps and fantasy camps for adults. More than 100 professional and Olympic gold-medal athletes have lent their wisdom during camps conducted across the country. For instance, the NBA's leading scorer, Kevin Durant, dishes details on his skills at a camp in Oklahoma, and Super Bowl champion and Packers linebacker Clay Matthews teaches the careful choreography of backfield disruption in Wisconsin. At fantasy camps, John Calipari and Bill Self—the two coaches who squared off in 2012's NCAA title game—give campers tours of their programs' hallowed halls.

Challenge Nation pioneered the urban-adventure race with a race season that includes visits to 35 cities across the country. Each scavenger hunt is personalized to the hosting city, exploring its many diverse neighborhoods with a series of clues that would test even the most skilled children's-book detective. The teams—comprised of at least two people—vie for a $300 first-place prize. The _Amazing Race_–style competition rewards quick wits and wise planning over physical fitness, so the best way to prepare is by doing logic puzzles while eating Funyuns and lounging in a La-Z-Boy. The top 25 teams qualify, the top five receiving free entry, to compete in the national championship, which rewards winning teams with a $5,000 cash prize.