NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville’s New Year’s Eve event is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee for a citywide food drive from Dec. 7-13 leading up to Music City Midnight festivities, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today. In addition, the NCVC will collect nonperishable food items during Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville (#Nashville NYE) taking place at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Dec. 31. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods to collection bins that will be located near the event entrances. Music City Midnight is free and open to the public.
“I truly appreciate the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Second Harvest for combining our world-class New Year’s Eve event with a citywide food drive,” Mayor John Cooper said. “I encourage everyone to donate at one of the participating businesses or to bring canned goods with them to the New Year’s Eve concert. Nashvillians have a heart for lending each other a helping hand, and I can’t think of a better way to go into the holiday season and kick off 2020 than by helping feed hungry families across our city.”
“I am pleased to see Nashville’s hospitality industry come together to make a difference in the lives of struggling families through a citywide food drive,” said Dr. Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University and chair of the board of directors of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Thank you to all our hotels, restaurants and attractions for participating, and we look forward to joining with Second Harvest on this worthy effort.”
Twenty-six local businesses in neighborhoods all over Davidson County and 65 Kroger locations in Nashville and throughout Middle Tennessee are participating in the food drive from Dec. 7-13. A full list of drop-off locations are below and will be updated at visitmusiccity.com/nashvillenye-food-drive. All Kroger location in Middle Tennessee, along with locations in Gibson, Hardin and Henry counties in West Tennessee, are participating. Food items most in need include peanut butter, pasta, cereal, canned meat, canned vegetables and canned fruit. Online donations also are welcome as part of a virtual food drive.
The food drive is part of the NCVC’s larger social responsibility efforts during major events to help benefit the city and its residents. Those initiatives include recycling, composting and donating unused food. Partners and vendors at Music City Midnight will undertake the following:
• Recycling cardboard, aluminum and plastic
• Recycling solid grease and grease water
• Using waterless handwash stations (hand sanitizer) instead of water and paper products
• Using solar-powered work lights
• Using LED on video screens and lighting throughout event site, cutting down on electric power usage
• Composting organic waste material
• Upcycling event signage for use as art supplies
• Donating unused food to local nonprofits
Additionally, food vendors are encouraged to use biodegradable serving plates and food containers such as 100% paper, certified green-ware, corn products, and biodegradable cups. They are encouraged to serve all food condiments by pumps or recyclable bottles – no plastic packets and no Styrofoam.
Reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban will headline Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville (#Nashville NYE) for a fourth year in a row. Urban will lead an all-star and diverse lineup that includes Americana powerhouse Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit; English rock band The Struts; Americana award winner Amanda Shires, who is also a member of The 400 Unit and critically-acclaimed new band The Highwomen; rising stars Bren Joy and Kalie Shorr; the Fisk Jubilee Singers; and GRAMMY-winner DJ Dave Audé. The 11th annual event will take place at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and is free and open to the public.