Several Presidential candidates have descended upon Middle Tennessee just days before Super Tuesday.
Nearly 600 delegates are up for grabs in next week's primaries, including 11 in the Volunteer State.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz was greeted by a large crowd at Rocketown, just south of downtown, before he makes a stop at the Opryland Hotel for the NRB International Christian Media Convention.
Cruz -- seeking to gain a lead after placing third in South Carolina and Nevada -- spoke with conservative political commentator Sean Hannity and encouraged Tennesseans to unite against front runner Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump is like Hillary Clinton. He’s a rich, New York liberal,” he said to cheers from the crowd.
Hannity joked, “That’s about the worst thing you can say to a Republican Presidential candidate.”
Also looking to make a dent in this contentious race is Dr. Ben Carson.
He visited Tennessee in 2015 as part of a book promotion in Madison, and has also announced he will appear at the convention Friday.
Since the primaries are only days away, today's event can be pivotal following Thursday night's debate. There, Cruz traded jabs with Marco Rubio and front runner Donald Trump.
The convention has already been underway at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
Carson is expected to appear at 1 p.m. with Cruz following an hour later. John Kasich was set to be in Nashville Saturday at Rocketown.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton announced she will be in Nashville this Sunday.
