Excell has a new home in 2023, and with it comes the opportunity to explore a new city.
Excell falls in the middle of the week – Tuesday to Thursday – so why not stretch out your stay in Nashville and make a vacation out of it?
There’s plenty to do before, during and after Excell, whether you’re with your spouse, your family, your team or on your own. So come early, stay late or take a long vacation and stay all week.
Start things off by registering for Excell, then get to planning your week.
Soak Up Some Music History
Nashville is called the Music City for a reason. The town is a hotbed of music history – especially when it comes to country – and you won’t have to stray very far from Excell’s home at the Music City Center to find it.
Take a tour of Ryman Auditorium – the original home of the Grand Ole Opry – learn about the history of the genre at the Country Music Hall of Fame, or get better acquainted with a legend at the Johnny Cash Museum.
And if you’ve rented a car for your stay, the Grand Ole Opry is less than 20 minutes from the Music City Center.
Hit Up a Honky Tonk
If you’d rather listen to some music than just learn about it, Nashville has you covered. The Honky Tonk Highway in downtown keeps the party going with live music and drinks until 3 a.m. each night, and though the bars may not draw many big names, the Highway served as the launching site for country stars like Willie Nelson and Dierks Bentley.
If country music isn’t your scene, the Arctic Monkeys and Macklemore are among the big-name artists who will be in town the week of Excell.
Wet Your Whistle on the Whiskey Trail
Country music isn’t Nashville’s only claim to fame. It’s also home to several whiskey distilleries that serve as stops on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.
Though you’ll have venture to Lynchburg to visit the state’s most famous distillery – Jack Daniel’s – you can book a round-trip tour from Nashville and have your fill without having to worry about how you’ll get back to the hotel afterward.
Spice Things Up with a Local Favorite
Though Nashville hot chicken has become so ubiquitous that you can now find it pretty much anywhere, there’s nothing like the original thing. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack lays claim to developing the hot chicken recipe, and it has a location just blocks from the Music City Center.
Other local favorites include Hattie B’s Hot Chicken and Party Fowl.
Tour the Town
Even without a car, you can still get away from the Music City Center and take in the town with a hop on hop off trolley tour. The tour includes stops all throughout downtown, so you can combine your museum visits or a hot chicken lunch with your sightseeing.
Sports
Nashville is home to a pair of professional sports teams – the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and the NHL’s Nashville Predators. If you stay in town through the weekend, you can catch the Titans’ home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, September 17.
See You in Nashville
There’s no shortage of fun to be had in Nashville, but don’t forget the reason you’re here. Excell is a can’t-miss opportunity to hear from some of the biggest names inside and outside the financial services industry and to learn more about the Carson ecosystem.
And if you haven’t already, reserve your spot at Excell 2023 now. We can’t wait to see you there!