Events

January

Nashville Boat & Sports Show

Held in mid January

Location: Nashville Convention Center 601 Commerce St. Nashville, TN 37203

314- 567-0020

Nashville Tennessee boats, marine, tackle and most any water minded activity of sport product can be found at the Nashville Boat & Sports Show.  The show is held for five days. 

Nashville Antique and Garden Show

Normally held the third week of January

Location:  Nashville Convention Center 615-352-9064

Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville Tennessee offers approximately 150 antique, horticultural booths and landscaped gardens.  Special lectures are offered by experts in their fields in home and garden style.

February

Annual Bluegrass Music Awards & National Convention

Usually held the first week of February

Location: Sheraton Music City Hotel

660-665-7172

March

Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

Held in late March – early April

Location: Nashville

615-256-3554

Call for exact location

Tin Pan South Songwriters spotlights the songwriters and songs that contribute so much to our lives through music. The weeklong festival is named in honor of New York's fabled Tin Pan Alley and celebrates the strength of Nashville's songwriting community.

Old Time Fiddles Championship

Held in late March

Location:  Clarksville (approximately 1 hour from Nashville)

931-552-6149 Clarksville is host each year to the Old Time Fiddlers Championship. The event attracts people from around the country to one of the largest championships of its kind.

April

Gospel Music Week

Held the third week in April

Location: Nashville Convention Center

1205 Division Street

Nashville, TN 37203

615-242-0303 Gospel Music Week is normally held in conjunction with the Dove Awards. This is a Gospel Music Industry event that attracts artists, record companies, radio and concert representatives, among others.

Dove Awards

Held the third week in April

Location: Nashville Convention Center

1205 Division Street

Nashville, TN 37203

615-242-0303 The Dove Awards is a night honoring those voted Christian music’s best by the members of the Gospel Music Association.

Mule Days

Held the first weekend in April

Location: Columbia, TN (located 45 miles south of Nashville)

931-381-3833

A week-long celebration of the mule. Thousands of visitors come to Columbia to take part in the numerous activities ranging from working mule and best of breed events, to horse shows, arts and crafts booths, and a flea market.

Franklin Main Street Festival

Held on the fourth weekend of April

Location: Downtown Franklin (about 10 miles south of Nashville)

Franklin Main Street Festival is held annually in Downtown Franklin. 

Nashville Film Festival

Usually held in mid April

Location: Regal Green Hills Cinemas in Nashville

615-742-2500

Nashville Tennessee Film Festival, formally known as the Nashville Independent Film Festival is a five day festival celebrating independent films.

May

Iroquois Steeplechase

Held the second Saturday in May

Location: Steeplechase Grounds, Nashville

615-322-4814

The Nashville Tennessee Iroquois Steeplechase is held traditionally the second Saturday in May. Horse people and spectators from all over the world congregate to see the race.

Colonial Fair

Held the first week of May

Location: Moss-Wright Park

615-859-7979

Nashville Tennessee Annual Colonial Fair features nearly 800 meticulous artisan craftsmen and their wares, colorful costumes and characters and period food and entertainment.

Market Fair at Mansker’s Station

Held the first weekend in May

Location: Mansker’s Station

The Market Fair at Mansker's Station is an opportunity to meet all sorts of people, portraying all sorts of characters, as they would have acted in the 18th Century. Entertainers, Merchants and the like are only a small portion of what might show up at the fair.

Nashville River Stages

Usually held in May

Location: Riverfront Park

615-406-4363

Nashville River Stages is held at Riverfront Park, every May, for three days of great music and great artists all weekend long with over 50 bands performing on five stages.

Music City Championship

Held the last week of May

Location: Springhouse Golf Club

The Champions Tour has raised millions of dollars for dozens of local charities including the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Boy & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Tennessee Lions Charities, and Family & Children's Services.

U.S. 11 Antique Alley

Held the third weekend in May

Location: 502 miles along U.S. 11

877-871-1386

A 502-mile festive roadside sale is held on U.S. Highway 11 from Meridian, Mississippi through Birmingham, Alabama, and towns in Dade County, Georgia, then Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee, and on to Bristol, Virginia.

Tennessee Crafts Fair

Held the first weekend in May

Location: Centennial Park, Nashville

615-385-1904

The Tennessee Crafts Fair has been held in Nashville's Centennial Park the first weekend in May every year since 1972. A showcase for the work of craft artists living and working in Tennessee, the event also heralds the outdoor summer season and attracts over 50,000 people each spring.

June

Fan Fair Usually held in June

Location: Downtown Nashville

This festival allows Country fans to meet More than 200 artists of their favorite artists for autographs and photos and enjoy more than 40 hours of live performances.

American Artisan Festival

Held in mid June

Location: Centennial Park American Artisan Festival held in Centennial Park in mid June. Some 160 artists from around the country have been carefully selected to represent their areas of expertise which include blown, stained, and etched glass; furniture, instruments, and clocks; wall hangings, weavings, and baskets; jewelry; decorative clay pieces, and quilts. Music and a variety of foods are available in the park.

Loretta Lynn’s Songwriter’s Festival

Held the third week of June

Location: Downtown Nashville Loretta Lynn's Songwriter's Festival is held the third week of June and offers 3 days of Live Original Performances on Multiple Stages, Publicity, Music Trade Show, Valuable Workshops, Exhibits, Food, Fun, Networking, Beverages, Canoeing, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Bicycling, Panel Forum, and Camping, with some very special Original Band Performances.

Cumberland Feast and Auction

Held in late June

Locations: Rock Harbor Yacht Club

Traditionally the Cumberland Feast signals the start of a week-long schedule of shows and activities that make up the city of Nashville's 4th of July Celebration.

July

Independence Day at Riverfront Park

Held on the fourth of July

Location: Riverfront Park

Nashville celebrates Independence Day along the banks of the Cumberland River.

Celebration of Cultures

Held the second Saturday of July

Location: Scarritt-Bennett Center

Scarritt-Bennett Center is host to the Celebration of Cultures. This event is an entertaining and educational international family festival, which showcases the growing cultural diversity of Middle Tennessee. The event includes music, dancing, arts and crafts, an international market, food, storytellers, and much more for the entire family.

Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival

Held after the fourth of July

Location: Nashville Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival, beginning the Thursday after July 4th, was established to honor the memory of Uncle Dave Macon, who lived near Murfreesboro and is considered one of the first Grand Ole Opry superstars. There are numerous highly charged acoustic, instrumental and dance competitions.

August

Miss Martha’s Ice Cream Crankin

Held the first Sunday in August

Location: First Presbyterian Church of Nashville

You can always count on the first Sunday in August to be hot, and for many years, Nashville families have counted on Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin to help them beat the heat. Held on the lawn of First Presbyterian Church of Nashville, the Crankin' invites families from all over to sample delectable frozen delights, fresh from a homemade ice cream maker.

World’s Longest Yard Sale

Held in early August

Location: A variety of locations throughout Tennessee

Labeled as the World's Longest Yard Sale, this yard sale runs down Highway 27 Corridor into Three States- Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee. The length of this sale is said to be close to 500 miles long.

Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration

Held the later part of August

Location: Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Grounds, Shelbyville – about 30 miles from Nashville

The historic Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville, TN is home to The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which takes place each year in late summer for the 11 days ending on the Saturday night before Labor Day.

September

African Street Festival

Held the third week of September

Location: Tennessee State University Campus Sponsored by the African American Cultural Alliance (AACA), this phenomenal festival has grown now attracts more than 100,000 people interested in African and African American culture.

Nashville Folk Festival

Held the second weekend of September

Location: Old Jordon Farm in Wilson County – a few miles east of Nashville

The Old Jordon Farm once belonged to Spencer Jordon who was Uncle Dave Macon's driver and road manager. The festival is dedicated to Uncle Dave and features both traditional and contemporary acoustic folk music.

Tennessee State Fair

Held the early part of September

Location: Nashville Fairgrounds Tennessee State Fair has been entertaining local folk for decades.

October

Rollercoaster Fair

Held the first weekend in October

Location: Throughout the Nashville Area

This Four day grassroots extravaganza offers miles and miles of yard sales, crafts, antiques, handcrafted quilts, produce, southern foods, BBQ, entertainment, flea markets and more. It spans from Mammoth Cave, KY to Byrdstown TN.

Southern Festival of Books

Held the second weekend in October

Location: Downtown Nashville This is a three-day celebration of books. The Festival is free with no tickets or reservations required and plenty of authors on hand to sign their books.

Heart of Country Antique Show

Held the third week of October

Location:  Opryland Convention Center Heart of Country Antique Show features over 150 antique dealers from across the country.

Music & Molasses Festival

Held the third weekend of October

Location: Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville The annual Music & Molasses Festival offers molasses making, Bluegrass music, story-tellers, country cloggers, a grist mill, traditional crafts for sale, food including homemade cakes and pies, free buggy rides, log cabin activities for children with a trail hike, pony rides, animals to touch and much more.

Goodlettsville Fall Music Festival

Held the second weekend in October

Location: Moss- Wright Park, Goodlettsville – just north of Nashville Goodlettsville's Fall Music Festival and State BBQ Championship Cook-Off offers live music, crafts, great food, children's attractions, and a state BBQ cook-off!

Living History Fall Encampment

Held in mid October

Location: Moss-Wright Park, Goodlettsville – just north of Nashville

A 1780 encampment with re-enactors in period dress camping, cooking and working with authentic food and gear. Held at Mansker's Station, one of Tennessee's first settlements. The reproduction fort is considered to be one of the most authentic in the nation.

A Season of Celebration

Held Thanksgiving – New Years Location: Cheekwood Botanical Garden, Nashville

A Season of Celebration at Cheekwood Botanical Garden is an annual event that focuses on the Cheek home during the holidays.

December

Yule Fest and Living History Camp

Held the first week in December

Location: Goodlettsville Re-enactors celebrate the customs of a Colonial Christmas. The reconstruction fort’s cabins are dressed for Christmas with fresh evergreens, ribbons, fruit and candles. Go from cabin to cabin, or throughout the encampment, for refreshments, stories and demonstrations.

Arts & Entertainment

Nashville Symphony

Tennessee Performing Arts Center

505 Deaderick St.

Nashville, TN 37243

615-782-4000

Call for schedule of performances

Admission Charged The Nashville Symphony features a full schedule of classical, pops, children’s and special events concerts.

Nashville Opera Association

Tennessee Performing Arts Center

505 Deaderick St.

Nashville, TN 37243

615-832-5242 Nashville Opera is recognized by OPERA America as a Level III company, ranking it as one of the leading regional opera companies in North America.

Nashville Children’s Theatre

724 Second Avenue South Nashville, TN 37210 615-254-9103 Call for performance schedule Nashville Children’s Theatre is a non-profit, professional Equity theatre that brings magical productions to 80,000 people each year.

Nashville Chamber Orchestra

2002 Blair Boulevard Nashville, TN 37212 615-256-6546

Call for performance schedule The Nashville Chamber Orchestra is crossing the line of traditional expectations and presenting programs that entertain audiences while challenging them to stretch their concept of what a chamber orchestra can be.

Nashville Ballet

Tennessee Performing Arts Center 505 Deaderick St.

Nashville, TN 37243

615-297-2966

Call for performance schedule Grand Ole Opry 2804 Opryland Drive

Nashville, TN 37214 615-871-OPRY

Call for performance information

Admission Charged

Never knowing which artist might make a surprise appearance; it’s where country rocks, bluegrass rules and Western swings.

Ryman Auditorium 116 Fifth Avenue North

Nashville, TN 37219 615-458-8700 The Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark and former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974), continues