Bailey Zimmerman Draws Crowds Into CMA Fest Heat in Nashville
bailey zimmerman is part of a CMA Fest scene defined less by spectacle than by survival: cooling stations were busy as heat and humidity pushed crowds toward first aid tents along Broadway and the riverfront. Hundreds of police officers and medics were monitoring the festival as temperatures climbed.
Dr. Jeremy Crook, a Vanderbilt LifeFlight doctor, said the toughest part was that many people came out for several days and had not prepared for the stretch. “Heat is really one of the biggest things,” he said. “The biggest challenge, I think, is folks come out to have a good time and maybe haven’t prepared.”
Broadway And The Riverfront
Vanderbilt LifeFlight crews saw a steady stream of festivalgoers stopping at first aid tents for sunscreen and help with dehydration. Crook said the crews were already busy with people who did not expect to spend multiple days outside in the heat, and he warned that poor hydration on one day could follow people into the next.
Bryson Maynard described the weather in blunt terms: “The humidity keeps on rising, the skies are getting more clear and that sun has just been blazing.” He carried a large water bottle all day as the crowds kept growing, a practical choice in a setting where the stages were all in the sun and alcohol added another layer of strain.
Cooling Stations And Fans
Cassidy Cooley said daytime concerts could feel like “100 degrees,” with the packed crowd making it worse. BobbieAnn Cooke said festivalgoers could stop to get a drink, cool off, and get sunscreen, while Adam Turcotte said, “the heat has been brutal.”
Cooling stations filled quickly, and people lined up for snow cones and shade wherever they could find it. The festival also had booths with fans and mist, free drinks, and roaming medical coverage on multiple ATVs carrying paramedics, nurse practitioners, and physicians.
What Fans Needed Next
Crook’s advice was straightforward: “So make sure that you’re hydrating before you come but also while you’re here.” He also told people to wear loose-fitting clothing, lighter colors, and cautious footwear, and LifeFlight handed out band aids to people with blisters from new cowboy boots.
For anyone still moving through the downtown Nashville crowds, the message from the medical tents was to treat the day like a long haul, not a quick stop. SPF 50, water, and breaks in the cooling stations were the difference between staying in the festival and ending up in line for care.
