
mor e With incoming or der, at time of pur c hase only Expir es 11/30/25. Of fer not v alid in all r e gions.



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mor e With incoming or der, at time of pur c hase only Expir es 11/30/25. Of fer not v alid in all r e gions.



In this season of gratitude, we often find ourselves reflecting on the many blessings in our lives. Thanksgiving encourages us to slow down, embrace the present, and appreciate the people and moments that bring us joy.
We follow that theme in this month’s issue but this time we do so with reciprocity in mind. Because in Bellevue, it’s always a 2-way street. The people behind the institutions and organizations that enhance our community’s quality of life are as grateful for Bellevue, as Bellevue is for them.

Our feature stories for November are prime examples.
There are arts organizations in just about every community but in Middle Tennessee there's only one that's open to novices, hobbyists, enthusiasts and professionals alike. That's Arts Bellevue which has been led by Glen Biggs since 2019.
Since 2012, BELL Garden has been educating students and residents about the art, science and intrinsic value of gardening. Early this year when Bellevue’s Edible Learning Lab was ransacked by vandals, the community showed its appreciation by rehabbing the facility, leading to a remarkable revival.
Then there are the ladies of Holidays in the Vue. A little less than two years ago, a classic holiday parade through the streets of Bellevue was little more than a coffee conversation among four local friends. Until they got the crazy idea to actually try to put the wheels into motion. After Bellevue enthusiastically embraced last year's debut, it returns in 2025 bigger than they could've imagined.
These are just a few things our community has to be thankful for this year. We hope you enjoy reading about them, and let us know if there are similar stories we should know about in the months ahead.

ED ATLAS, EDITOR @BELLEVUECITYLIFESTYLE
November 2025
PUBLISHER
Doug Waterman | doug.waterman@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Ed Atlas | ed.atlas@citylifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Lindsey Baydoun | hello@lindseybaydoun.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ed Atlas, Lisa Valentine, Kellie Walton
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ed Atlas, Lindsey Baydoun
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Zach Miller
LAYOUT DESIGNER Antanette Ray
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas


Proverbs 3:5-6




Glen Biggs is Pioneering Middle Tennessee’s only Community Arts Organization right here in Bellevue.
Learn about the community garden that is cultivating food, connection and purpose in Bellevue. Bellevue’s Newest
From high-anxiety to stunning reality, Holidays in the Vue returns for its second year.






























TEMPO, which bills itself as Bellevue’s Community Choir, will present Christmas Angels, a family-oriented concert on Sunday, November 16. Every song in the set–which covers a variety of styles and genres–will have a reference to “angels” as the choir is accompanied by hand bells, flute, violin, and other instruments. Showtime is 3 p.m. at Bellevue Church of Christ, 7401 Highway 70 South. Admission is free. For more information, email MPCombs2@gmail.com.
Photography by TEMPO Choir

Hundreds of competitors from 30 states, and ranging in age from 17-79, will converge in Percy Warner Park on November 23 for the 20th Annual Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. This uniquely demanding and intentionally unconventional race covers 26.2 miles with over 3,600 feet of elevation gain across wooded roads and steep hills, making it a true test of endurance. Proceeds from race entries benefit Friends of Warner Parks. The race begins at 8 a.m. RunningAhead.com/events/ Monkey/2025-11-23/register

The Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association hosted Living History Day on October 4 in Red Caboose Park. In addition to interactive exhibits for basket weaving, knitting, quilting and blacksmithing, visitors were able to enter the historic DeMoss Cabin. Dating to 1797, it is recognized as the first residence built on the land that is now Bellevue. Descendants of the DeMoss and Greer families were on hand as well. BellevueHarpethHistoricAssociation.org

Lute’s Lights, an organic Bellevue holiday tradition, returns November 29 when they “Flip The Switch” at 6 p.m. at 317 Harpeth Valley Road. Lute’s Lights is a massive holiday lights display featuring 30,000 lights, over 1000 blow molds and more than 40 inflatables. Live music and refreshments will be available. The event is also a fundraiser for the MNPS HERO program. For those who can’t make it, the display continues nightly through December 31. MNPS.org/hero
Photography by Janna Larimore




GLEN BIGGS IS PIONEERING MIDDLE TENNESSEE’S ONLY COMMUNITY ARTS ORGANIZATION RIGHT HERE IN BELLEVUE
ARTICLE BY KELLIE WALTON PHOTOGRAPHY
PROVIDED
When Joe Noe called Glen Biggs in 2018 with a proposition, Biggs didn't know he was about to inherit an entire arts organization. "I love it so much, I can't imagine not having done it,” Biggs says.
That passion makes sense when you understand Biggs's history. Growing up in Franklin, Kentucky, he was deeply involved with his hometown's community

arts council. When he moved to Nashville, he searched for that same sense of belonging but kept hitting walls.
"I was trying to find a home where I could belong to the community of arts. I couldn't find it in Nashville—everything [in the arts] is very professional," he says.
Arts Bellevue is for the community. Since officially launching its programs in April 2019, the organization has been providing the Bellevue region, including Fairview, Kingston Springs, and Pegram, with opportunities to engage with the arts in every possible way. Today, it’s the
only community arts organization in the Middle Tennessee area.
"That can look like being in the audience, it can be about being a musician, it's about doing workshops–you can be in them or teach them," Biggs says. "It's just about building community and giving people opportunity."
The programming is impressively diverse. Their “Vue in the Round” series—a monthly singer-songwriter evening at Ford Ice Center—has become a beloved fixture.
"Our audience loves coming to hear us because it's not a typical bar setting,”
“WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND FOR PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED.”
Biggs says. “They can come and sit and listen to the music, and it’s very different from being in a bar space.”
At just $10 per person, it's an accessible night out where people can "shut the world out and just listen to music for two hours."
Then there's the “Vue Master” series— weekend intensives ranging from block printing to wax techniques. The organization has even partnered with Green Door Gourmet for culinary workshops.
When the pandemic hit, Arts Bellevue didn't skip a beat. They went

virtual, streaming performances from living rooms, hosting script readings and poetry workshops.
"We did something every week," Biggs says. "It kept people connected to the community itself."
But there's one persistent challenge Arts Bellevue faces: space. Before the pandemic, they had a performance venue at World Music in the Kroger shopping center. When that closed, they had to scramble. Theater productions are especially difficult.

"The resources it takes to do theater is a lot, but we want to bring it back," Biggs says, noting that theater engages more people than any other art form. "You can be on stage, backstage, costumes, props, stage manager, director, music director, there are so many different aspects."
They've got the talent—including Janet McMahan, a Bellevue playwright who toured with Roy Orbison back in the day. But without a permanent home, mounting productions remains a struggle. So, add lending space to the list of ways to support the organization.
Despite navigating spatial challenges, Arts Bellevue keeps growing. Community memberships start at just $5 a month, and grants from the Bellevue Community Foundation and Tennessee Arts Commission help compensate artists fairly. Nobody works for free.
"We're always looking for volunteers and for people to get involved. There's always something open for someone interested,” Biggs says.
If workshops, memberships, performing on stage, or clapping along in the audience don’t entice you, perhaps this will: each December, Arts Bellevue hosts a Santa-themed pub crawl to raise funds for the local food bank.
For a guy who just wanted to help a fellow arts aficionado, Glen Biggs has built something remarkable: a place where everyone in Bellevue can find their artistic home. For more information on events and opportunities to get involved, visit ArtsBellevue.org.

Learn about the comunity garden that is cultivating food, connection and purpose in Bellevue.

ARTICLE BY LISA VALENTINE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDSEY BAYDOUN
There’s no denying that the Bellevue community is a special one and BELL Garden has become a staple that makes it so great. Located next to Bellevue Middle School, BELL Garden, which stands for Bellevue Edible Learning Lab, is a community garden that cares for Bellevue residents and fosters connections between those that live in the community as well as volunteers from all over Nashville.
With Bellevue resident Deborah Stillwell at the helm as executive director, BELL Garden is run solely by volunteers. Founded in 2012, Stillwell got involved with BELL Garden seven years ago and has helped develop the volunteer program and expand the garden’s offerings. Among others, volunteers include students looking to earn community service hours, corporate groups on team-building exercises, retirees who enjoy gardening, and local residents looking to lend a hand.
They grow produce, flowers, and herbs, while also taking their harvest and turning it into delicious edible products for the public to purchase. They make anything and everything, from a variety of salsas and jams to dried spice mixes and pasta sauces. Customers can even cut their own flowers in the garden or purchase pre-arranged bouquets at the Bellevue Farmers Market. The nonprofit also holds classes to teach skills such as pickling and canning. In addition to selling the products, they place great importance on caring for the community and donate hundreds of pounds of fresh produce during their high season to a variety of food banks in the area, including the Bellevue Community Food Bank.

Items are available for purchase every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon year-round. This includes the winter months. BELL Garden also has a booth at the Bellevue Farmer’s Market when it’s open during the spring and summer.
In February of this year, the garden’s small office portable that serves as its operational hub was ransacked, causing much destruction and loss of crucial supplies for the organization. The thief stole everything from garden clippers to Gatorade that’s kept on hand for volunteers working in the hot sun and even threw seeds all over the space. But




against that devastating backdrop, the Bellevue community showed how much it appreciates BELL Garden by stepping up to help repair the office and purchase new supplies to replace what had been stolen. In fact, contributions came in from around the country.
Community members rallied around to help Volunteering their labor as well. “The day after this happened, there were over 100 people in the garden helping us clean up,” Stillwell says of the support they received. “The community response was phenomenal with so many people hearing about us for the first time. We were getting checks from all over the country.”
BELL Garden is thankful for the community that stepped up to support, just as many people of Bellevue are thankful to have BELL Garden as such a great community resource.
BELL Garden runs solely on donations, volunteers, and sales from the garden. They will be holding their annual online fundraising auction on their website from November 27 through December 7. With over 400 items available for purchase, it’s the perfect way to do holiday shopping and support the Bellevue community without ever leaving the couch. But you’ll probably want to visit in person
BellGardenTN.org
BELL Garden is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, selling fresh produce during growing season and canned goods, dried herbs, and more in the winter months. The organization’s annual online auction runs November 27–December 7 with hundreds of items available for purchase at 32Auctions.com/BELLGarden2025. BELL Garden is located at 655A Colice Jeanne Rd, next to Bellevue Middle School.








A year ago, anxiety was running high for Kristi Gooden, Tammi Schneiderman, Christy Mullen and Jodi Owens. As organizers of the inaugural Holidays in the Vue parade, their dream of bringing a memorable holiday experience to the Bellevue community was about to become a reality.
But what kind of reality? Would it be a boom or a bust? Like expectant mothers, they didn’t know what to expect. Like wedding planners, there were more things to do than time to do them.
One thing they knew for certain: it wouldn’t be a nightmare. Because you can’t have a nightmare if you’re not sleeping.
“You embark on an event like this, and you plan and prepare,” says Gooden. “We have a great partner in the Bellevue-Harpeth Chamber of Commerce to help us with critical infrastructure, like permitting. We had conversations with organizers of the Hendersonville parade, and they were more than kind in providing advice. But a month out, we were still securing sponsorships and recruiting volunteers. Until the event happens, you just don’t know.”
What transpired can only be described as an idyllic event. The day dawned with made-to-order weather: sunny skies, calm wind and seasonably pleasant temperatures. The parade unfolded with a blend of pageantry, energy and hometown charm that was on-point with the best the planners could have imagined.
When the first participants marched onto the parade route and the festivities were officially underway, the organizers’ eyes were awash with tears. “The four of us were on the radio saying, ‘it’s starting!’ says Gooden. “The energy was quite palpable. To see the parade come to life was quite amazing. Even as we were staging the entries, participants were telling us ‘Thank you.’ That’s when it really started to settle in that this was something that Bellevue wanted.”
Gooden says that planning for the Second Annual Holidays in the Vue parade (Saturday, December 6 at 10 a.m.) began as soon as the inaugural parade ended. “Literally, the steering committee gathered and said, ‘we’re doing this again,’” Gooden says. “Our presenting sponsor, Aaron Sullivan of Allegiance Pressure Washing,
ARTICLE BY ED ATLAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDSEY BAYDOUN








said he was going to renew as soon as the parade turned the corner (from Colice Jeanne Road) onto Highway 70.”
The committee gave away handheld “Belles” to spectators last year but quickly ran out. That won’t be a problem in 2025 as TriStar Bellevue ER has stepped up as sponsor. In fact, participating sponsors are up 20 percent over last year, plus in-kind sponsorships.
Gooden says a crowd of up to 4,000 is anticipated, plus up to 1,000 parade participants. That represents another increase over last year so expect the parade to run 10-15 minutes longer than last year’s half-hour.
Holidays in the Vue is a rainor-shine event. Additional information, including a parade route map and volunteer portal, is available at HolidaysInTheVue.com.
Holidays in the Vue Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 10 a.m.
Staging Area
Bellevue Middle School
Parade Route
North (left turn) on Colice Jeanne Rd. from Bellevue Middle School
West (left) on Highway 70 South North (right) on Sawyer Brown Road
West (left) into One Bellevue Place at Eastbrook Drive
HolidaysInTheVue.com
When choosing The Lodge at Natchez Trace as your home, we not only aspire to know our residents and exceed their expectations, but we welcome each in our extended family. Blessed and thankful to be a pillar and partner in the Bellevue Community. Caring for seniors is a labor of love and requires a special person. At The Lodge we provide "Professional Care You Can Trust."
Call and schedule for tour today


















ARTICLE BY ALISON STANTON
Let’s face it: hosting Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful.
Between grocery shopping, house cleaning, cooking and baking, it’s no wonder the day devoted to giving thanks can feel a tad daunting.
Here’s some very welcome good news: whether this is your first holiday hosting rodeo or you’ve stuffed many a turkey over the years, you can knock out most of the Thanksgiving meal prep work in advance – some of it two weeks before the big day.
To make this year’s Thanksgiving meal easier and more enjoyable, consider the following timeline of tips.

2 WEEKS BEFORE
• Print out the recipes you plan to use – this will be much easier than constantly tapping your phone to prevent the screen from going dark or scrolling when your hands are covered with flour or onions.
• Using your menu and printed out recipes as a guide, compose a complete shopping list.
• Double check your supply of herbs and spices to see what you have on hand –even the ones you are pretty sure you have enough of, like salt and pepper (this tip comes from personal experience!).
• Shop for all non-perishable and frozen food items. Basically, if it doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge, or if it doesn’t have a short shelf life, it’s going in the cart.
• Plan three easy and tasty dinners for the days leading up to Thanksgiving and purchase those ingredients during your shopping trip. Or plan at least one night of takeout. CONTINUED >
• Clean your home completely, enlisting family members to help. Then, as the big day approaches, you can touch up as needed.
• Finish your grocery shopping for fresh vegetables like potatoes, onions and carrots and other items not purchased earlier.
• Go through your fridge and toss any old, expired condiments, leftovers and mysterious food items that no one is eating. This will free up valuable real estate for your various dishes.

• Wash and chop all veggies and place the prepped produce into plastic baggies or airtight food storage containers. If some recipes call for “minced onion” and others require “chopped onion,” label the bags accordingly.
• Set the table, and include the empty serving dishes. This will help you figure out ahead of time where the larger dishes can go (and if they will all fit!) Add Post-It notes to the empty dishes to remind you what will go in what. Use a clean sheet to cover everything and keep it all dustfree until Thursday. You can also do this for a buffet.
• Gather all needed serving spoons and other serving pieces.
• Pre-measure herbs and spices for your recipes and store them in labeled small plastic bags with the name of the dish they are for and what’s in the baggies. You can also do the same for any flour, sugar or other non-perishable ingredients you’ll use in your dishes.
• Do a quick clean and tidy around the home; for instance, run the vacuum and shine up the bathrooms.
• If you haven’t already done so, bake your pies, or, at the very least, prepare your pie dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake the pies.
• Make the mashed potatoes. Bonus tip: on Thanksgiving, put the potatoes into a slow cooker and heat them up using the “warm” setting.
• Prepare the gravy. If you have a second slow cooker, it too can be warmed up this way on Thanksgiving. This will also help free up pots, pans and burners on the stove!
• Set up a separate drink station where guests can help themselves or someone can serve them away from the kitchen. Stock it with glasses of different sizes, napkins, bottle and can openers and straws.









The holidays have a way of calling us back to what matters most—faith, family, compassion, and the quiet but powerful act of giving. As lights go up and calendars fill, there are still many who sit in silence, carrying burdens too heavy to bear alone. But what if this season, you could be the spark that changes everything for someone else?
The founders of City Lifestyle, through their private foundation, are once again launching its annual Christmas Giving Campaign—a heartfelt effort to seek out and support individuals and families who have quietly fallen through the cracks. The mission is simple: to bring light, dignity, and hope to those who need it most.
Since its beginning just four years ago, this initiative has grown from a humble idea into a life-changing movement. Last Christmas alone, more than 200 families across the country received unexpected support—financial relief, but also something even more powerful.
“We don’t just send checks,” says Steven Schowengerdt, CEO and founder of City Lifestyle. “We send a message: You are seen. You are loved. And you are not forgotten.”
Together with City Lifestyle President Matthew Perry, Steven has helped shape this into a tradition that goes far beyond charity. “This is about community,” Matthew adds. “We believe we’ve been blessed, so now we get to be a blessing.”
Every story begins with a nomination. Often, it’s a neighbor, coworker, friend, or teacher—someone who’s been quietly carrying too much for too long. One past recipient, after receiving unexpected support during a time of deep personal struggle, wrote:
SCAN TO NOMINATE

“We send a message: You are seen. You are loved. And you are not forgotten.”
“Beyond the very practical solution of receiving funds to fix my car, this thing you guys worked together to do is bigger than that. I carry the Christmas card you sent in my purse. When things get really hard, I pull it out and remember what it felt like to be seen. That card represents hope— that change for the better is possible. I’m not sure how many people get to carry hope around in their purse. But I do.”
Another wrote in after her husband was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer and unable to work:
“This support has blessed our family not only financially, but emotionally and spiritually as we trust God to meet our needs throughout this difficult time. Thank you to our anonymous friend and to your foundation. What a joy and gift to be part of God’s family!”
Each year brings countless stories like these—real lives touched by simple acts of kindness. Some use the funds to pay overdue bills, others to afford groceries, medication, or repairs. But no matter the circumstance, the impact is the same: hope is restored.
This season, you have the opportunity to be part of that. The campaign is now open to nominations—completely confidential and prayerfully considered. Whether it’s someone battling illness, facing unemployment, or just in need of a helping hand, you can bring them a moment of grace that will ripple far beyond Christmas morning.
“Knowing my mom was chosen filled my heart with indescribable joy,” said another past recipient. “Your generosity doesn’t just brighten her life; it inspires hope and faith in all of us. It enables her to stay in her home and get back on her feet.”
Nominations are open from November 1st to December 5th, 2025. To submit someone you know, simply scan the QR code or visit @CityLifestyle on Instagram, where you’ll find the nomination form in the bio.
This holiday season, let’s give more than gifts. Let’s give each other the gift of being seen. Because sometimes, the smallest gesture becomes someone’s greatest miracle.
To nominate someone in need, visit: KingdomBuildingFoundation.org or scan the QR code.








NOVEMBER 1ST
Professional Sports
Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena
Nashville Predators (Bridgestone Arena): Saturday 1 vs. Calgary Flames, Monday 3 vs. San Jose Sharks, Thursday 6 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, Saturday 8 vs. Dallas Stars, Saturday 22 vs. Colorado Avalanche, Monday 24 vs. Florida Panthers, Saturday 29 vs. Winnipeg Jets. (NHL. com/predators). Tennessee Titans (Nissan Stadium): Sunday 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday 16 vs. Houston Texans, Sunday 23 vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sunday 30 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. (TitansOnline.com).
NOVEMBER 3RD
Concerts Around Town
VENUES THROUGHOUT NASHVILLE
RYMAN AUDITORIUM: Monday 3, John Fogerty; Tuesday 4-Wednesday 5, ERNEST Live; Sunday 9, Clay Walker; Thursday 13, Jose Gonzalez; Friday 14-Saturday 15: 49 Winchester; Thursday 20, Margo Price; Saturday 22, The Lone Bellow; Wednesday 26: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones; Friday 28-Saturday 29: Brett Eldredge. BRIDGESTONE ARENA: Friday 7: Bryan Adams. THE PINNACLE: Sunday 23: Boz Scaggs; Tuesday 25: Spiritbox.
NOVEMBER 4TH
Warner Parks Nature Center
7311 HIGHWAY 100
Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 12: Fall Migration Bird Banding Research, 8 a.m.; Wednesday 5: Sip Happens Under The Super Moon, 6 p.m.; Thursday 6: Birding to Change the World author event with Trish O'Kane, 6 p.m.; Saturday 8: Explore Nashville's Highland Rim Forest, 1 p.m.; Saturday 15: Leave The Leaves Day, 10 a.m.; Saturday 22: Lantern Hike, 5 p.m.; Tuesday 25: Thankful for the Hill Forest, 1 p.m. WarnerParks.org/upcoming-events/
NOVEMBER 6TH
Nashville Symphony
SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER, DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE
From classical to pop, the Nashville Symphony plays something for everyone in November. Thursday 6-Saturday 8: Verdi's Requiem with Nashville Symphony Chorus; Thursday 13-Friday 14: U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club; Saturday 15: Randy Travis: More Life Tour; Thursday 20-Friday 21: Giancarlo Guerrero: A Hero's Life; Sunday 20: Pulse: Orchestrally Energized Yoga. NashvilleSymphony.org
NOVEMBER 8TH
GRANNY WHITE PARK, 610 GRANNY WHITE PIKE IN BRENTWOOD | 8:00 AM
Run, Walk or RUCK your way through a 5k, 10k or 8-hour ultra marathon in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Shelli Huether who perished along with two fellow Tennessee Air National Guard members, Captain Jessica Wright and Senior Master Sargent Scott Bumpus, in a 2020 aviation accident. Proceeds benefit The National Guard Association of Middle Tennessee and Lantern Lane Farm Counseling. ShelliHuetherHonorRun.com
NOVEMBER 27TH
Boulevard Bolt
BELLE MEADE BOULEVARD | 9:00 AM
The 32nd Annual Boulevard Bolt will be run Thanksgiving Day morning along Belle Mead Boulevard. Today, this USATF-certified event ranks among the largest 5-mile races in the country and has raised $4.8 million to provide services to Nashville's homeless community. The Boulevard Bolt is open to all, from social walkers and recreational runners, to professional racers. BoulevardBolt.org
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