Community Pop-up: DIY Banjos at Tennessee Craft Fair

The Country Music Hall of Fame is setting up a community pop-up at Centennial Park on Friday, October 9, and it's a simple one: you get to build your own miniature banjo out of everyday stuff. We're talking lids, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands—the kind of things you've probably got lying around the house—and you put them together right there. It's a walk-up activity, so you just show up and get to work.

The whole thing is a nod to Rhiannon Giddens, the award-winning banjo player. The pop-up is part of the Museum's Discover Rhiannon Giddens project, which sits inside a larger series exploring diverse voices in country music. It's not a standalone event, either; it runs alongside the 48th Annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair, so you can spend some time making your own little instrument and then wander through the fair to see what else is on display. The program was made possible by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

It's open to all ages, so it works just as well as a family outing as it does if you're just hanging out with friends. You don't need to be a musician to join in, and you don't need any prior experience with a banjo—the point is the making of it. It's free to the public, and you don't need Museum admission to take part. The pop-up runs from 10 AM to 6 PM at the Tennessee Craft Fair in Centennial Park, 2500 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203.