Dinner by the Bridge Celebrates 30 Years of Greenways for Nashville

Who doesn’t love al fresco dining at an ultra-long farm table with twinkling lights overhead? Seemingly, no one — and what differentiates these communal dinners from one another is the location. For the past 17 years, Greenways for Nashville has adopted this popular format for its annual Dinner by the Bridge, a fall fundraiser held on the Cumberland River Greenway Esplanade at the foot of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge with a spectacular view of the city skyline. This gorgeous locale gives guests an opportunity to celebrate the success of Nashville’s greenway system, gather with supporters and friends, and raise a toast to a future that includes developing more greenways across Davidson County.  

But this year, there was a last-minute change. The city’s Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service advised party planners to move the dinner indoors due to the threat of Hurricane Helene. Hosts moved the dinner to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, and made a few changes, like dividing the former long table into three broad semi-circles — which surprisingly created a new level of warmth and intimacy in a room with an impressive 450 in attendance. 

The planners created a cottage-chic theme — a nod to nature and its unexpected mischief — with wooden tables, mismatched dinnerware and park-inspired centerpieces. The colorful scenes featured things you would find on a greenway encounter — deer, butterflies, coneflowers and the like. Sponsor Bates Nursery & Garden Center donated beautiful live plants, which patrons took home at the end of the evening. Four Nashville Ballet dancers dressed in greenery and beautifully carried the theme to another artistic level.

The program was short but powerful. Board chair Jacob Kassinger acknowledged the 30th anniversary of Greenways for Nashville by reading the mayoral proclamation that named September 26, 2024, Greenways for Nashville Day. “Over the past three decades, greenways have transformed our city in profound ways,” Jacob said. “We now have over 103 miles of greenways that touch every corner of our city. Every tree, every trail, every mile represents the collective effort of this community to invest in a healthier, greener future for generations to come.”