Nashville only a short trip away

With barely even $7 worth of gas in your tank, the small town of Nashville, Ind., is well within traveling distance. Located approximately 16 miles outside of Bloomington, Nashville boasts several theaters and playhouses, multitudes of scheduled musical performances, art galleries featuring both local and famous artists and over 300 art, craft or antique specialty shops. And with Nashville's annual Summer Festival beginning June 1, the early summer is the one of the best times to discover and explore the city.\nThe Summer Festival, which is held everyday in June, features events hosted by several Nashville theaters, museums and the Brown County Art Guild, among other participants. Events range from seasonal theatrical performances to the 25th-annual Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibition at the Brown County Art Gallery and Museum, and many workshops and tours are also offered by the city as a part of the month-long festival. For complete information, obtain a copy of the 2003 Events Guide for Brown county or visit www.browncountysummerfestival.com.\nThough summer is one of Nashville's peak seasons for tourists, many attractions in Nashville invite visitors throughout the majority of each year. One of the most famous of Nashville's venues is the Little Nashville Opry, which features top country and western performers throughout its March through November season. This June, featured performers include Don Williams on June 7, followed by Ronnie Milsap, Diamond Rio, and Terri Clark respectively each weekend. With 2,000 seats that tend to sell out regularly because of inexpensive tickets, the Little Nashville Opry attracts thousands of country and western fans each summer.\nAnother very popular theater in Nashville is the Brown County Playhouse, which is located right in the heart of the city. In its 55th season this year, the playhouse is the oldest professional stock theater in Indiana, and is operated in conjunction with the IU Department of Theater and Drama. Despite its fame as the oldest professional theater still in operation, the theater remains very intimate, as there are barely 400 seats available inside, with no seat more than 10 rows from the stage. The next upcoming attraction at the Brown County Playhouse is the comedy "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," written by comedian Steve Martin. The play will run from June 12-15, 18-22, 25-29, and July 2-6, and tickets are available from any Ticketmaster location or from the Playhouse box office at 70 S. Van Buren St.\nThe tiny, entertaining and even more intimate Nashville Follies Musical Theater is located further down Van Buren Street from the playhouse. Their latest performance is titled "Lights-Camera-Action" and will be performed throughout the month-long Summer Festival until July. With only 150 seats in the theater, its cozy atmosphere and minimal ticket prices attract a lot of country music fans of all ages.\nThe Pine Box Music Cabaret and Theater is one of the most interesting venues, as it was previously a funeral home until it opened under its present name 12 years ago. Now, the atmosphere in the theater is no longer somber as its performers, referred to as the "Good Time Gals and Guys," perform over 150 shows per year. Their upcoming June show which starts June 7 and runs intermittently throughout the month is titled "Moments to Remember" and includes many songs from the 1960s and 70s. \nBeyond evening and matinee musical events and theatrical performances that make up a part of Nashville's nightlife, the city itself boasts 23 different art galleries featuring both famous and local artists in a wide variety of mediums. \nSome of the favorites include the Brown County Art Gallery and Museum, located within two blocks of the courthouse, which is holding its 25th annual arts exhibition June 7-21, the Brown County Art Guild, 48 S. Van Buren St, which is featuring artist Maphajean White during the Summer Festival, and the Artists Colony Inn Art Gallery, 105 S. Van Buren St, which displays early artists of Brown Country and Indiana. \nMany other collections of artwork, crafts, and personal galleries also line the streets of Nashville, and visitors are always encouraged to walk in and look at the work displayed. The Brown County Art Barn, 79 North Van Buren St, in particular is a very open setting for visitors to walk through, as the gigantic brown barn stands wide open to the public in the middle of downtown Nashville, and many benches and tables line the street outside the barn. The Art Barn features approximately 15 local artists, and their work is displayed from the floor to the ceiling on the wooden walls of the barn.\nRegardless of your budget or interests, Nashville provides a wealth of activities to participate in and events to see, most of which are minimally priced or free. And as the scant amount of miles put on your car will barely make a dent in your gas tank or in your wallet, a road trip to Nashville can be both rewarding and affordable for anyone.