Rodney to Visit "The Lodge" During CMA Music Festival

When the 2012 CMA Music Festival kicks off its four-day event on Thursday, June 7, in Nashville, Tenn., HGTV is joining in the excitement of the ultimate country music fan experience by opening the doors to its star-studded venue,The Lodge. Along with GAC, DIY Network and Travel Channel, The Lodge will offer fans a unique interactive experience, live musical performances and autograph signings with some of the biggest country stars and lifestyle television personalities.

CMA Music Festival attendees and fans will have the opportunity to attend various autograph signings and acoustic performances from a host of country artists and HGTV and DIY Network stars at The Lodge in Fan Alley. Fans can enter for the chance to attend by visiting GACTV.com/CMAFest and looking for the banner advertisement for the official sweeps entry page and rules beginning at approximately 5 p.m. Eastern on May 23, 2012. Entries must be received by noon Eastern on May 30, 2012. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older. Fans will also have an opportunity to win access to these signings and performances at the event and details about these opportunities will be posted on the GAC Facebook and Twitter pages during CMA Music Fest week.  No purchase necessary to enter or win.

The Lodge’s GAC Living Country Stage line-up includes performances by country artists Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Bucky Covington, Love & Theft,Kip Moore, Sarah Darling, Josh Thompson, Kix Brooks, Katie Armigerand Casey James and autograph sessions with Kellie Pickler, Lauren Alaina, Rodney Atkins, Easton Corbin, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town,Thompson Square, Jake Owen, Scotty McCreery and rapper Vanilla Ice, host of DIY Network’s The Vanilla Ice Project (Sundays at 4 p.m. ET). Additionally, several of HGTV’s top stars will be on-hand to meet fans, including Chris Lambton, host of Going Yard (Saturdays at 5 p.m. ET); Drew andJonathan Scott, hosts of The Property Brothers (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET);Amie and Jolie Sykes, hosts of Junk Gypsies (Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET).

The 2,400-square-foot Lodge also offers visitors multiple activities under one roof, including The Hook-Up, an interactive newsstand where festival goers can take a break to interact with Scripps Networks’ iPad apps, browse throughHGTV Magazine and recharge their electronic devices. The HGTV Red Carpetphoto booth allows visitors to snap photos to share with friends through a photo download webpage. Fans can also cool off with shaved ice and a misting station at DIY Network’s The Vanilla Ice Project-themed “Ice My Cup” station. Each day of the festival starting at 10 a.m. CT, The Lodge is also featuring past HGTV Design Star contestants – Josh Johnson, Todd Davis, Emily Henderson and Antonio Ballatore – who will design a room based on hit Country songs in its very own White Room Challenge area and discuss their respective designs with fans on-site.

While at The Lodge, guests can pick up a copy of GAC and Travel Channel’s guide to Nashville. Folks stopping by can also visit the Travel Channel tour bus and treat themselves to an ice cream sandwich as the network prepares to launch its newest original series Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in Americaon Wednesday, June 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Adding to the experience, comedian and vacation expert Bert Kreischer will be on location to film an upcoming episode of the new Travel Channel series, Trip Flip. He will surprise a few lucky tourists with the ultimate Nashville vacation, as he convinces them to throw away their plans, and let him take over “flipping” their trip into an extraordinary adventure they will never forget. Trip Flip premieres June 28 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Kreischer will also be traveling down Broadway during the festival’s kick-off parade on Wednesday, June 6.

Fans unable to visit The Lodge can keep tabs on all of the festivities through several interactive elements at GACTV.com/CMAFest. They can also follow event activities on Twitter at #TheLodge and on HGTV’s Facebook page with a special CMA Music Festival tab, which will feature daily posts of behind-the-scenes content, a rolling Twitter feed, time-lapsed videos that chronicle eachWhite Room Challenge design from start-to-finish, and trivia questions about HGTV, DIY Network, GAC and Travel Channel.

Click here for the complete schedule of events at The Lodge (All times CT.) >>