The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Fun in Nashville – 2019 Edition

The holidays are a time to be with your family as much as possible. But who says you need to stay inside the whole time just because the temperatures are low? When you’re in Nashville, there’s plenty of fun things to do to get out of the house and create memories with your loved ones—just be sure to bundle up first!

Family Holiday Fun

If you’re looking for activities and events to bring your entire family to Nashville, we’ve done the searching for you! Enjoy the holiday season out on the town this year. This great mix of free and paid events will ensure that you can get into the spirit of the season.

• ICE! Featuring A Christmas Story. This year, the interactive ice display at Gaylord Opryland Events Center is full of scenes from the classic movie, A Christmas Story. Come by the chilly walk-through attraction any day from Dec. 8 through Jan. 1. Tickets start at $21.99.
• Tubing at Gaylord Opryland. Race your friends and family down this 15-foot ice tubing hill with four lanes at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center! The tubing hill is open at varying times Nov. 13 through Jan. 1 and costs $18.99 per person.
• Third Annual Festival of Trees. The Holiday Inn Vanderbilt is hosting the Third Annual Festival of Trees on Dec. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets for this viewing of beautiful Christmas trees range from $10 to $20, and include music, heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and a cash bar.
• Christmas Tree Lighting. On Dec. 6 come down to Public Square Park for the Metro Nashville Christmas Tree Lighting. Local choirs will perform at the event, food trucks will be there to purchase food from, and there will be a special appearance by Santa.
• Christmas Parade. Nashville’s annual Christmas Parade through downtown will be Dec. 7 this year and steps off at 8:30 a.m. The parade full of floats, musical performances, and special guests will begin at 1^st Avenue and the Woodland Street Bridge, follows down 1^st Avenue, then goes up Broadway, and ends at 8^th and Broadway. You can purchase tickets here for reserved or VIP seating.
• Porter Flea Holiday Market. Vendors at Porter Flea’s Holiday Market have all kinds of products, like drawings, handmade jewelry, vintage furniture, and other amazing goods. Free admission is on Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Nashville Fairgrounds. You can also buy tickets for a preview night on Dec. 13 to get early access to the market with smaller crowds.
• Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville. Presented by Jack Daniel’s, Music City Midnight is a New Year’s Eve celebration like no other. Come watch the city’s Music Note drop while watching live performances from Keith Urban and other stars, and an incredible fireworks display. You can find a list of performances here. The celebration is free, but you can buy ticket packages for hotels and special viewing areas here.

Family activities are fun, but what if you want to go out with just adults? We’ve found holiday-themed bars you can visit to enjoy the season with other adults.

Bars to Get You in the Spirit

We all know the holiday season ends up being more stressful than fun most years. If you need to take the edge off, but still want to be festive, then these bars are perfect for you!

• Walden. Starting Nov. 15, Walden becomes a very festive Winter Waldenland with cocktails based on the movie A Christmas Story, and holiday themed events that last until Jan. 1. Come by to get into the Christmas spirit!
• Hidden Bar. Hidden Bar inside the Noelle Hotel hosts Miracle at Hidden Bar starting on Nov. 27. Come by until Jan. 1 for Christmas themed cocktails, festive décor, and plenty of holiday cheer.
• Santa’s Pub. This bar doesn’t have to go through a transformation in order to be holiday ready. Santa’s Pub holds karaoke and has cheap beer, which are all you need to feel ready for the holiday season. Be sure to bring paper money, as this is a cash only bar.
• Reindeer Games. If you love the holidays, drinks, and nostalgia, then Reindeer Games is the perfect place for you. This Christmas-themed pop-up bar occupying the space formerly known as Headquarters Beercade is open Nov. 23 until Jan. 1 and features free pinball and vintage arcade games.

Light Up the Night

When it’s cold outside, you might be tempted to stay inside by the fire. But then you wouldn’t get to experience all of the holiday magic that Nashville has to offer with its lit-up places! You could bundle up and venture into the cold to any of these outdoor light shows or stay in the car with the heat on for the drive through spectacles.

• A Country Christmas. Venture through the nearly 4 acres of the Gaylord Opryland Resort’s A Country Christmas to view the 3 million holiday lights as well as Christmas decorations for free this holiday season.
• Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood. Cheekwood Estates & Gardens has a mile-long path illuminated with millions of LED lights. You can walk through Holiday LIGHTS from Nov. 23 until Dec. 30. You can purchase tickets here, which is recommended because the event frequently sells out.
• GLOW Nashville. Witness one of the country’s tallest Christmas tree at GLOW Nashville this holiday season. First Tennessee Park transforms into this amazing attraction with millions of lights, ice skating, and plenty of other winter activities for the whole family. Depending on the day and activities you choose, tickets start at $15.99.
• Zoolumination. The Nashville Zoo holds Zoolumination, a Chinese Festival of Lights nightly from Nov. 15 until Feb. 2. Come see the over 500 handmade silk lanterns positioned as zoo animals, holiday scenes, and a 200-foot-long dragon. Tickets start at $14, and parking is $7. Zoo members get free parking and $2 off tickets.
• Dancing Lights of Christmas. If you don’t want to get out of the car and walk through an attraction, the Dancing Lights of Christmas drive-through light experience is perfect for you. At just $30 a car, you can see this 2.5 mile route filled with 2 million lights displaying holiday scenes and synced to music on the radio from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31.
• Redneck Christmas Light Adventure. See Nashville the way it was intended—on the Redneck Comedy Bus Tour. Come ride the bus around town to see Christmas lights all around the city while drinking spirits. The cost for the Redneck Christmas Light Tour is $40 per person and runs Nov. 14 through Dec. 19.

Light displays can be great to look at, but maybe you need something more exciting. Thankfully, the Music City has concerts and shows to entertain you and get you into the holiday spirit.

Concerts and Shows

You can sit in a warm theater and enjoy carols and chorus lines this Christmas. You don’t want to miss these great performances that will only be around for a few short weeks. Grab a ticket, bring your family, and enjoy the arts to celebrate the holidays.

• The Nutcracker. Nashville’s Nutcracker will be performed by the Nashville Ballet at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall from Dec. 7 through 23. The show is suitable for the whole family and runs about two hours with one intermission. Tickets start at $35.
• Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. You’ve seen the classic holiday movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on screen, now you can come see it as a musical! Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical will be at the Grand Ole Opry House from Nov. 16 through Dec. 18. Tickets start at $24.99.
• The Gift of Christmas with Trace Adkins & Friends Dinner Show. Come to this dinner show, The Gift of Christmas with Trace Adkins & Friends, that’s part of Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas! Trace Adkins and others will sing holiday hits as well as other songs while you are served dinner cooked by renowned chefs. Shows take place from Nov. 16 through Dec. 25, and tickets start at $39.99.
• Home for the Holidays. Tim Rushlow & His Big Band perform their show Home for the Holidays, full of live classic Christmas music from the days of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Bobby Darin. Come out to the Franklin Theatre for this timeless, high-energy show on three nights, Dec. 2, 3, and 4. Tickets start at $41.50.
• Drew & Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas. On Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. you can enjoy Drew and Ellie Holcomb and their band The Neighbors performing their show, Neighborly Christmas, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. They’ll sing holiday classics as well as originals, and tickets start at $89.
• Amy Grant & Vince Gill Christmas at the Ryman. The Ryman will proudly host 12 Christmas concerts this holiday season featuring Amy Grant & Vince Gill with special guest Rodney Crowell. Between Dec. 11 and 23, you can catch one of these great performances that is sure to give you that Christmas cheer you’ve been looking for.

Now that your schedule is even fuller this holiday season, it’ll make the time you have to relax even better! Once you’ve been to all these places, shows, and events, you can cozy up at home and appreciate the down time.

Happy Holidays from Concept Technology.!

At Concept Technology, we know the holiday season can be a stressful time for everybody. But great events and places like these can help you have fun with the family and really get into the spirit of the season! Always remember to spread cheer and stay safe. Happy holidays to all of Nashville!