Talking up the town

A recent national magazine article shined the spotlight on McMinnville and picked as its primary source one of the city’s staunchest supporters – who also happens to be a member of the Main Street Media family.

Raven Young, known to WBMC listeners as the host of “Town Talk,” was featured in the piece, entitled “This Tennessee Town Has Waterfalls, Caves, And the Coziest Main Street You’ve Ever Seen,” and was published Sunday on southernliving.com, the website of Southern Living magazine.

“I randomly sometimes will send e-mails to editors, TV shows, whatever; trying to get more attention on McMinnville,” Young said. “I found she did Tennessee-based travel articles, so I reached out to her – and it grew from there. I didn’t realize I was being featured in it; I thought I was just giving her information to feature other businesses and McMinnville as a whole. So, it was a bit of a surprise when I saw myself quoted in it.”

The article, written by Korrin Bishop, highlights many of McMinnville’s more tourist-friendly sites and shopping destinations. The list included: Falcon Rest Mansion & Gardens, Smooth Rapids, Cumberland Caverns, Rock Island State Park, the Park Theater, Lemon, Southern Traditions Gifts & Interiors, The Hitch Outfitters & General Store, Begonias, Collins River BBQ and Café and Cumberland Biscuit Company.

Many of the featured businesses and attractions on Southern Living’s list hold special significance to Young, who serves on both the historic zoning commission and as a member the Main Street McMinnville Board of Directors, having been won the latter group’s Downtown Revitalization Award and being elected to serve a second term as the group’s incoming president.

“My overall goal is to bring more attention to McMinnville, because it’s such a great place where we live,” Young said. “I want everybody to see all the things that make McMinnville great. I want to promote and support us any way I can, and this is a great, national-level way to get our name out there.”

Young, a lifelong resident of the Nursery Capital, can be heard each morning from 7-9 a.m. on “Town Talk” at 960-AM and 97.7-FM.

Founded in 1966 by The Progressive Farmer Company in Birmingham, Ala., Southern Living was created to showcase the culture, cuisine and charm of the American South. It quickly became a household staple, known for its features on recipes, home décor and travel. Acquired by Time Inc. in 1985 and later by Meredith Corporation, the magazine maintained its Southern voice while expanding its reach.

Now under Dotdash Meredith, Southern Living continues to thrive across print and digital platforms, celebrating Southern traditions with modern flair and remaining one of the most beloved lifestyle magazines in the country.

The McMinnville-focused article is part of a series spotlighting Tennessee towns, including Lynchburg, Tullahoma and Gatlinburg. Bishop’s entire article can be found here.