Why the Fall Concert Series won’t proceed in 2026
The Lot was supposed to be the venue for a fall concert series starting in late August as part of a match grant McMinnville was selected for, in large part due to fan voting, late last year.
When Main Street McMinnville announced Tuesday it was canceling the Fall Music Series before the first concert ever took the stage, there were far more questions than answers.
Nearly 24 hours later, communication from those closest to the project paint the clearest picture yet of why McMinnville had to walk away from the concert series before the first drum beat.
Main Street McMinnville Executive Director Hannah Cowan Jones, Mayor Ryle Chastain and Raven Young, who has served as Main Street McMinnville Board President, have all publicly addressed the cancellation. While each offered a different perspective, all three pointed to the same conclusion: Main Street determined it could not financially support the project.
Jones, who became Main Street's executive director in April, said the decision wasn't made because of a problem with the Levitt Foundation. Instead, coming up with money to match Levitt’s commitment was a hindrance.
"In order to qualify for funding from the foundation, we would have had to make a cash match. Since no cash match could be made at this time, we no longer met the requirements of the grant," Jones said in a written response to questions from the Warren County Way.
The original statement from Main Street McMinnville can be read by clicking this link.
Jones, along with Young on Town Talk with Raven and Rob on WBMC 97.7 FM this morning, both noted that the Levitt AMP grant was a dollar-for-dollar local cash match - something that was known when applying for the grant.
And matching it became the project's biggest hurdle.
"I think many organizations can relate that expected cash from sponsors in the past has, in many cases, become in kind donations. As an independent nonprofit, we are grateful for any support, cash or in kind, but the fact remains that without enough cash support, our organization could not pursue this series,” said Jones.
Young further explained the difference in the funding, which actually ended up being $28,000 that Main Street McMinnville was going to need to match with Levitt, this morning.
“Up to $14,000 could be in kind - we had the in-kind portion covered,” said Young on Town Talk with Raven and Rob. “The other $14,000 cash is what was not able to be secured to proceed with the funding.”
In-kind funding locally would’ve included the stage and lighting, which are already used by Main Street McMinnville for the Main Street LIVE! concert series. Having electricity provided at no charge to Main Street McMinnville was another potential in-kind funding, according to Young.
Ultimately, the project could not get the $14,000 of funding needed to move forward though.
Another stipulation of the grant that Young shedded light on was that the portion of the Levitt AMP money could only be used for securing musical acts. The Warren County Way was able to confirm with one musical act scheduled to perform locally that they had a $4,000 agreement to perform, which would align perfectly with the $28,000 figure as seven shows were scheduled for this fall.
Jones noted that no contracts with artists will proceed.
“After the Board of Directors made the difficult and careful decision not to move forward with the Levitt concert series, we did not proceed with artist contracts for the series. We truly appreciate their time, patience and willingness to work with us throughout the planning process. We wish their continued success and hope our paths may cross in the future,” said Jones.
Questions about the grant process also turned toward former executive director Jennifer Flatt Meredith, who led Main Street during the application process, but hasn’t been part of the non-profit organization in 2026.
She submitted her resignation in December, citing among her reasons that “stepping down is in the best interest of my children and my own health.” She also noted that funding cuts were an issue, saying in her resignation letter, “With recent city funding cuts and the current compensation structure, I am unable to justify continuing, especially given that I now spend more on private insurance than I received in my most recent raise.”
As more questions were popping up about the situation on social media, including on Warren First 931, McMinnville mayor Ryle Chastain weighed in on the situation.
Answering a prompted question from the story (Were financial, staffing or operational concerns the deciding factors?), Chastain answered, “Financial and staffing. (The) Previous MSM director apparently misrepresented and spoke for city and passed along along to the MSM board that the city did not agree to.”
Meredith has not currently responded to messages from the Warren County Way in hopes of getting her perspective on the situation.
Chastain also addressed the question about what role, if any, did local government or community partners played in the decision? “The city put money from our tourism account and in-kind services for the series,” said Chastain in his Facebook post.
On Town Talk, it was noted by the hosts of the show that the city - in large part - has no involvement in the decision making or funding for Main Street McMinnville. The city budget (at least dating back to 2023-24, 2024-25 and an amended 2025-26 category - line item 737 on the General Government/Administration Expenditure Operating Budget available on the city website) has allocated $35,000 yearly for Main Street McMinnville.
Full link to the city’s budget can be found by clicking this link: https://cms2.revize.com/revize/mcminnville/2026%20Budgeting%20Workbook%20Amendment%20Detailed%20Budget.pdf?t=202603051004580
Per Pro-Publica data, Main Street McMinnville Inc. reported revenue or $309,313 in 2025 and expenses of $314,777, along with net assets of $98,095. Those numbers were up significantly from 2024 ($125,496 in revenue and $105,192 in expenses), as well as 2023 ($123,362 in revenue, $105,332 in expenses).
Not being able to come up with an extra $14,000 of cash ultimately made a difference for this concert series though, one that was not simple to obtain.
Not only did McMinnville have to win the voting, but representatives had to follow through on several instances to keep the dream of a fall concert series alive. One of those responsibilities included attending a conference in Los Angeles.
Young made the trip.
“There was a required conference, a training conference in Los Angeles . . . The Levitt family organization did pay cover the travel expenses, the hotel, the food of that trip. That was not part of the $28,000 grant,” noted Young on her show, clearing up any confusion on if that was a locally funded trip.
She also was able to explain how the $40,000 - part of what could’ve been $120,000 over three years with Levitt - became $28,000 and how much back and forth there was in pursuing this grant for McMinnville.
“There was an application (and) there were things in the application that, yes, got us up to $28,000,” said Young. “Recently though, before we would receive any of the funds, and actually it was done in partial - it would have been done in partial draws, so it would never have been an entire $ 28,000 released at one point in time to the funds.
“But recently to move further with Levitt to receive any of the funding, we would have to submit a budget that detailed exactly that we have this cash on hand to match these funds. When so when we were working through that process, those funds - we don't have the funds to match that.”
And while the concert is officially cancelled for 2026, there is hope from everybody that McMinnville and the Levitt Foundation can continue to work together in the future.
“No strain or expectation was placed on sponsors for this series. Our relationship with Levitt and the State of Tennessee remains strong, and, though we are not pursuing this series right now due to budgetary constraints, it's not off the table with Levitt to consider us again in the future should we secure proper funding,” said Jones. “This decision was not made lightly. Ultimately, we determined that our organization is not in a financial position to responsibly support the long-term commitment required for the series. When that changes in the future, we would love to reopen the conversation.
“Until then, Main Street McMinnville remains committed to the programs we have offered for many years, continued revitalization in our historic downtown, and making Main Street Live, our legacy series, better each year.”
For more from Chastain on the chances of securing grant money from the Levitt Foundation in the future, see the following post: https://thewarrencountyway.com/news/damage-control-underway
