I came to Fan Fair twice in the 90's, but this is my first full experience at the CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville. I'll tell you what...the streets of downtown are packed with country fans from all over. And there are plenty of events to keep them busy.

There is no other event like this where the artists block nearly a week from their schedule to be here in Nashville to meet their fans and in many cases perform some of their biggest hits. The CMA Music Festival features autograph sessions, photo opportunities, concerts, and fan club parties. It truly is amazing.

Speaking of fan club parties, before this week I had never been to one. But what a cool thing they are! Imagine getting a ticket to see your favorite star up close and personal in a club or theater setting. Some do acoustic shows and some offer a full band performance. Some even give snacks for their fans and parting gifts too. WOW...how cool.

Another cool thing has been meeting so many great folks from all over the country who are part of the great XM Nation. Dawn and Kathy from St. Petersburg, FL and I chatted about music and baseball. They're big fans of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Kenneth Eberhardt from Dittmer, MO met me this afternoon at the Chevrolet Stage in front of the arena downtown. Gerald and Dorothy Cichocki of Newark, DE tracked me down for a souvenir XM bag to carry many of their fan fair goodies. I've talked to to folks from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and many other states who've made the trek to Music City for all this fun.

Of course, this is June in Tennessee. And that usually means plenty of heat and humidty. This year has been no exception as today's temps were well into the mid 90's. Sometimes I think this is Mother Nature's way of "performing" at the CMA Music Festival. There was a whole lotta sweating going on.

And one more thing, my co-workers at XM weren't as excited as I was...but the fried pickles at the Wildhorse are a must for me when visiting Nashville. And they sure were mmmm good the other night during Chely Wright's benefit concert.

If you're thinking about making the CMA Music Festival part of the summer of 2008 then I suggest you act fast. Tickets for next year will be going on sale this weekend, and that's really your best shot at getting some of the best seats at the stadium for the nightly shows.

Jay Thomas