Nashville Celebrates Taylor Swift's 'Homecoming Weekend' on Tour with Proclamation and Park Bench (Exclusive)
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"Here in Nashville, we have the distinct honor of being able to welcome her back to her own," Mayor of Nashville John Cooper tells PEOPLE exclusively
The city of Nashville is celebrating Taylor Swift's arrival — the Swifty way!
On Thursday, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that the Mayor's office issued a proclamation "recognizing Taylor Swift homecoming weekend" as she arrives for her Eras Tour stop.
"Over the last several months, cities nationwide have been welcoming Taylor Swift into their backyards, but here in Nashville, we have the distinct honor of being able to welcome her back to her own," Mayor John Cooper tells PEOPLE of Swift, 33, who first moved to Nashville at age 14.
In addition to the proclamation, the city also installed a park bench in Centennial Park with a plaque reading, "For Taylor Swift. A bench for you to read on Centennial Park. Welcome home, Nashville."
The park bench is a reference to her song "Invisible String," which was featured on her 2020 album folklore. In the track, Swift sings, "Green was the color of the grass/Where I used to read at Centennial Park/I used to think I would meet somebody there."
Mayor Cooper adds, "This honorary bench in Centennial Park is more than simply a place to sit. It is a monument to Nashville and Taylor Swift's long-standing relationship, and a reminder that she is always welcome back home."
Meanwhile, the proclamation cleverly includes Swift lyrics through the eras in each line like "Taylor Swift was just a girl trying to find her place in this world when she performed at Nashville's Bluebird Café, was discovered, and then signed to a record label."
Through this celebration, the city also aims to thank her for shedding light on their home through her music.
"Nashville will always be home for Taylor in our eyes," Butch Spyridon, CEO of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, tells PEOPLE. "We know all too well the significant role she has played elevating our Music City brand as a songwriter, artist and global superstar, and welcoming her back in an only-in-Nashville way is an honor."
Related:Taylor Swift Will Have Arizona City Temporarily Renamed in Her Honor as She Kicks Off Eras Tour
Swift will perform at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As Swift travels across the country for the Eras Tour, cities have celebrated her arrival in unique ways. Last month, a local animal shelter in Houston reduced cat adoption fees to $13 as a nod to the cat-lover, her favorite number and to encourage people to adopt a feline friend.
In March, she kicked off the tour in Glendale, Arizona, and in honor of her arrival, the city was temporarily renamed to Swift City.
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Read the original article on People.
