This week, we shared with you our list of major stories we covered in 2023. It was not comprehensive — we reported more than 700 stories this year, and we like to think all of them are impactful in their own way.
More: 6 major Tennessee news events that WPLN helped us understand this year
For as many of our stories that punched you in the gut just as you pulled into your driveway, we hope there were equally as many that made you smile, laugh, or call a loved one. These pockets of joy are what keep us as journalists going between the doom and gloom of the news cycle, and we hope they have given you some of that infectious energy as you’ve listened too.
This is also not a comprehensive list, but we journalists also love a pattern. So below you’ll find our top 23 joyful stories of 2023.
— Rachel Iacovone, director of multiplatform publishing
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsOn a drizzly morning in the fall 2022 semester, more than a dozen Tennessee State University students gathered to descend into Mammoth Cave.
At Mammoth Cave, TSU students get up close with caves, critters and under-told Black history
Over a dozen Tennessee State University students descended more than hundred feet underground, outfitted with knee pads, helmets and headlamps. WPLN’s Alexis Marshall tagged along with the group, which is part of a national program to get more students from Historically Black Colleges involved in the outdoors. (Jan. 5)
Courtesy OZ Arts DakhaBrakha performs during their 2022 tour.
On the weekend that marked one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, here in Nashville, Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha brought their genre-defying sound — and calls for a free Ukraine — to OZ Arts. (Cynthia Abrams, Feb. 27)
Tony Gonzalez WPLN NewsThis roadside mystery in Coble, Tennessee, looks like a space craft and has a NASA logo on it. One local family knows its backstory.
Curious Nashville: In search of a ‘space capsule’ in rural Hickman County
It’s no small feat to stumble across the space capsule in Coble, Tennessee. You’d need a pretty good reason to be rolling down one particular dead end dirt road. For example: Trying to buy some sheep. (Paula Ramírez & Tony Gonzalez, April 4)
WPLN News (File) Composer Hannibal Lokumbe returns to Tennessee to collaborate with the Nashville Symphony on his ambitious new work, “The Jonah People.”
“The Jonah People,” a new work that premiered this year with the Nashville Symphony, is at once a large-scale opera, oratorio, jazz symphony and storytelling experience. For trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe, the art of composing it was a spiritual activity. (Colleen Phelps, April 11)
Swifties descend on Nissan Stadium for Eras Tour weekend (Taylor’s Version)
Nashville is no stranger to snarled-up traffic ahead of big concerts, but the Eras Tour weekend took that to a whole new level. The city was preparing for a fan takeover, as three nights of Taylor Swift concerts prompted a slew of road closures in East Nashville and downtown around the Nissan Stadium venue. (Cynthia Abrams, May 5)
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsA stylist adds wave and texture to B Hayes’ hair ahead of their prom.
A Nashville teenager went viral after being excluded from their senior prom for wearing a suit rather than a dress. It was the latest example of an increasingly hostile environment for LGBTQ young people in more conservative states. But quickly, the community rallied around them to throw a separate prom for them and their friends. WPLN’s Alexis Marshall caught up with them as they were getting ready for the big night. (Alexis Marshall, May 11)
On a small island in the middle of Centennial Park’s Lake Watauga stand five towers of beehives. One of our listeners spotted the hard-to-reach hives and inquired about the bees: Who cares for them? What happens to the honey? Do other parks have hives? (Cynthia Abrams, May 12)
This Saturday at noon, a street in the heart of the Edgehill neighborhood will be dedicated as DeFord Bailey Avenue.
At long last, DeFord Bailey gets a street in his name
If you’ve driven down Music Row over the years, you’ve seen streets named for Chet Akins and Roy Acuff, foundational figures in the creation of the country music industry in Nashville. But it’s taken far longer for DeFord Bailey — who preceded them both as the Grand Ole Opry’s original, Black, star performer — to get a road of his own, among other honors. (Jewly Hight, May 19)
Katherine Ceicys WPLN NewsMaggie Harris, left, Gracie Marion, right, fish at the Rockland boat ramp in Hendersonville in preparation for the state championship.
How Tennessee has grown one of the largest student fishing circuits in the nation
If you were out fishing this summer, you might’ve noticed more kids out there with you. That’s because competitive youth fishing has been rapidly growing. Tennessee now has the largest program of Bass Nation student anglers in the country. The state tournament took place in early June and a couple dozen teams advanced to nationals. (Katherine Ceicys, June 11)
Courtesy of Tennessee State University With TSU’s announcement of the 2021 study, the university shared this image of a hockey stick and puck on ice showing the school’s logo.
TSU is getting even cooler. Say hello to the nation’s first HBCU ice hockey team.
Tennessee State University officially scored the first hockey team at a historically Black college or university in 2023. (Rachel Iacovone, June 28)
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsThe Little Chill Beach sits at the intersection of Lafayette, Division and 4th Avenue.
Something new has hit Nashville’s hot real estate market: a beach, right smack in the middle of downtown Nashville.
But, until it’s sold, Nashvillians driving through the intersection of Lafayette, Division and 4th Avenue may wonder: What is that sandy triangle doing there? (Cynthia Abrams, June 15)
Rivergate Skate Center is a neighborhood roller rink with a storied past
Like so many iconic spots around Nashville, the Rivergate Skate Center is located between two strip malls. Tucked away just off Gallatin Pike and Rivergate Parkway in Madison, it’s a long, low building. At first glance it looks like it could be a car repair shop or a really wide garage. The sign outside is fairly plain. In many ways, this place hasn’t changed much since it first opened in October 1978. (Steve Haruch, July 6)
Stephen Wheeler UnsplashThe Milky Way is hidden from about 80% of North Americans.
Nashville streetlights are getting a makeover, and that’s (possibly) good news for stargazers
Nashville is never truly dark. When the sun sets, an artificial glow rises, blocking out most of the celestial wonders above and disrupting the lives of organisms below. This phenomenon is called light pollution, and the city is about to confront one of its worst culprits. (Caroline Eggers, July 14)
Anjelica Rubin WPLN News Stephanie Lane, the ‘Queen of Nashville Pickleball’ gets ready to receive a serve on her backyard pickleball court.
When you walk by a tennis court in Nashville these days, chances are pickleball players have taken over. From parks to recreation centers to even backyards, the fastest-growing sport in America continues to get bigger — but what is it? (Anjelica Rubin, July 21)
Tony Gonzalez WPLN NewsTourists Qwentin Bland and Tayla Cooper discovered Cumberland Kayak on Tik Tok and decided to paddle the river into downtown Nashville.
Enjoying Nashville from the Cumberland River
Why do so many people ignore or avoid the Cumberland River? And how have perceptions — and access to our winding river — changed?
In this episode of This Is Nashville, we dive into how feelings about our river are rapidly changing, thanks in part to a rise in paddling and boating outfitters, as well as the fresh eyes of newly arriving transplants (and developers). We’ll hear from avid paddlers about their experiences. We’ll also unpack some misconceptions and talk about the surge in new ideas for our riverfront. (Tony Gonzalez, July 28)
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsPrincipal Ashley Croft greets families as they enter Inglewood Elementary School for the first day of class.
Listen: The first day feelings at one Nashville elementary school
Nashville students returned to classrooms for the first day of school in August. It’s an exciting — and sometimes anxiety-inducing — event. WPLN News went to Inglewood Elementary School to capture the back-to-school energy. (Alexis Marshall, Aug. 8)
Katherine Ceicys WPLN NewsAs the romance genre expands, the Between The Covers book club has been tapping into the widening array of options.
Romance novels are booming — and diversifying — and this Nashville book club is loving it
On a dark and stormy night, about 30 women brave the pouring rain to gather at Parnassus Books in Green Hills. They’re here for the store’s romance book club: Between the Covers. (Katherine Ceicys, Sept. 5)
Courtesy Mitski X (formerly Twitter)Mitski hosted listening events for her new album “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” a full week before its release on Sept. 15, including here in Nashville at the Belcourt Theatre.
Listen: Inside Mitski’s surprise concert at the Belcourt Theatre
In the dark of Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre, music fanatics gathered to listen to Mitski’s brand new album, “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We.” What those fans didn’t know was that out of the eight listening party events the reclusive artist set up around the world, Mitski would make a special live appearance and perform in only one city — Nashville, Tenn. (Justin Barney, Sept. 14)
Jenna Maurice Tor BooksBest-selling author V.E. Schwab (left) is returning to Nashville to talk about her newest release.
Bestselling author V.E. Schwab on world-building, her newest book and finding the magic in Nashville
Bestselling author and Harpeth Hall alumnus V.E. Schwab took the world by storm with her Shades of Magic series. She has now returned to that world in her new book, “The Fragile Threads of Power” — and she returned to Nashville for an event at Parnassus Books. (Marianna Bacallao, Sept. 26)
Rachel Iacovone WPLN NewsAntonio de Torres’ “Virgin of Guadalupe (Virgen de Guadalupe)” is the first piece at the Frist’s new exhibit.
The Frist Art Museum’s latest exhibit is called “Art and Imagination in Spanish America.” The pieces you see are from 1500 to 1800, but what you hear in this exhibit are decedents of “Spanish America” in 2023. (Rachel Iacovone, Oct. 20)
Courtesy The Improvised Shakespeare Company The 5-member cast of The Improvised Shakespeare Company performs unscripted, unrehearsed, comedic one-act plays in the language and rhymes of Shakespeare at TPAC on Nov. 10 & 11.
As you like it: Improvised Shakespeare comes to TPAC
Friends, Nashvillians, countrymen, lend me your ears: The Improvised Shakespeare Company came to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for two performances. It’s improvised theater — unscripted, unpredictable and funny — using the language and rhymes of Shakespeare. (LaTonya Turner, Nov. 10)
Rachel Iacovone WPLN NewsKahlil Arnold, the chef and co-owner of the beloved meat-and-three, presided over the lunch service on the first day of the family’s pop-ups. He helped with the meal service and walked from table to table checking that everything was to his customers’ liking.
‘Welcome to Arnold’s’: Inside the revival of a fan-favorite meat-and-three
Nashville’s beloved meat-and-three, Arnold’s, closed in January, but in late fall, it opened its doors again for a series of pop-ups. (Char Daston, Nov. 20)
Rachel Iacovone WPLN NewsAt The Horn, sambusas come with Somali fillings, like beef and veggie, and American-fusion options like egg and cheese or even hot chicken.
At The Horn, Nashville’s immigrant communities find connection and belonging
If you like chai in Nashville, you can’t do much better than The Horn, a café on Murfreesboro Pike. It’s owned by a Somali family, but it has become a gathering place for South Nashville’s immigrant communities from around the world. (Char Daston, Dec. 19)
Still itching for more fun? I’ve had the honor this year of writing the Friday “Out, About” editions of our newsletter, the NashVillager, where I bring you suggestions like curling (yes, the icy Olympic sport), square dancing at a barn out in the woods, and going to the waterpark as a grownup. You can subscribe here for more joy in your inbox every weekday morning.
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