Nashville City Cemetery is located at 1001 4th Ave. S. | Photo via Metro Nashville
Nestled south of downtown near Fort Negley is the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in Music City — the Nashville City Cemetery.
The four-acre cemetery opened on January 1, 1822 and had expanded to 27 acres by 1856. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Today, the cemetery is the final resting place for ~22,000 people — including James and Charlotte Robertson, many former mayors, Mabel Lewis Imes and Ella Sheppard Moore (Fisk Jubilee Singers), William Driver (the man who named the American flag “Old Glory”), and other Nashvillians.
October is the busiest month for tours at the Nashville City Cemetery. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Guided tours
There’s still time to join the Nashville City Cemetery Association for lantern-led tours this month, as well as a cemetery scavenger hunt this weekend. Note: Registration is required for all events.
Scavenger Hunt | Saturday, Oct. 21 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Free | Can you find a tombstone made of wood or someone with the same birthday as you? All ages are invited to participate for the chance to win prizes.
Lantern Tour with Jim Hoobler | Saturday, Oct. 21 | 5:30 + 6:45 p.m. | $25 | Hoobler previously served as director of the Tennessee Historical Society and the senior curator of art and architecture for the Tennessee State Museum.
Lantern Tour: Murder & Mystery | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 5:30 + 6:45 p.m. | $25 | This tour will tell the stories of people who “either met or caused untimely ends.”
Additionally, free tours are offered on the second Saturday of each month — bookmark the events page + stay tuned for listings beyond October.
Pro tip: Parking is available on Oak Street and in the cemetery at 1001 4th Ave. S.
On your own
The cemetery is open for public visitation daily from dawn to dusk. Download the Nashville City Cemetery Tour app for a self-guided experience with 29 featured stops outlined with directions, historical information, and audio.
Depeche Mode | Thursday, Oct. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway | $51+ | The English synth-pop duo brings their “Memento Mori” tour to Music City.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Thursday, Oct. 19 | 8 p.m. | Skydeck, 5055 Broadway | $25+ | Come dressed in your best costume for this rooftop movie night with live shadow cast Little Morals.
Friday, Oct. 20
Fridays by the River | Friday, Oct. 20 | 3-8 p.m. | Shelby Park - Riverview Shelter, 1900 Davidson St. | Cost of purchase | Head to the last fall date of Fridays by the River for a family-friendly beer garden with yard games, food trucks, and music.
Saturday, Oct. 21
Nashville SC vs. New York Red Bulls | Saturday, Oct. 21 | 5 p.m. | GEODIS Park, 501 Benton Ave. | $17+ | Cheer on the Boys in Gold at the final regular season matchday — visit North Plaza after the match for a family-friendly glow party.
North Nashville Culture Crawl | Saturday, Oct. 21-Sunday, Oct. 22 | Times vary | Locations vary | Free+ | Support local artisans, vendors, and businesses via art and culture crawls, a paint throwing event, and more.
Sunday, Oct. 22
Fear Fest: “Coraline” | Sunday, Oct. 22 | 10 a.m. | The Franklin Theatre, 419 Main St., Franklin | $12.50 | This stop motion fantasy-horror film is based on the novella by Neil Gaiman.
Monday, Oct. 23
KISS: End of the Road World Tour | Monday, Oct. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway | $45+ | Get ready to “Rock and Roll All Nite” at the band’s final Nashville show.
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Live from New York… it’s Nate Bargatze. The Old Hickory native will host Saturday Night Live on Oct. 28 with musical guest Foo Fighters. If you need a refresher on his comedy style, tune in to the comic’s latest standup special, “Nate Bargatze: Hello World,” on Prime Video.
Show
“Dancing with the Stars: LIVE!” is coming live to the Grand Ole Opry House on Thursday, Feb. 15. The brand-new production will feature special guest performer Julianne Hough and your favorite DWTS pros. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Oct. 20.
Try This
Attention cyclists. NDOT installed a temporary bikeway on 31st Avenue North from Park Plaza to West End Avenue. The bikeway, which is being piloted in tandem with area street resurfacing, could be modified, made permanent, or removed based on user feedback. Take the survey.
Community
A few intersections near Napier Elementary School now boast a fresh coat of paint. The colorful designs — installed by Walk Bike Nashville as part of its Safe Routes to School program — “brighten pedestrian crosswalks, making them easier for drivers to see.”
Nashvillian
Phil Ponder, known for his watercolor renderings of Nashville’s skyline, will unveil his latest artwork today, Oct. 19 (4-7 p.m.) at Picture This Creative Framing and Gallery. Meet Ponder, enjoy food + wine, and browse 21 new paintings, 13 new ornaments, and a puzzle.
Drink
Someone cut the cake. Yazoo Brewing Company is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 21 with live music, local eats, and special beer tappings. Here’s a throwback: Yazoo’s original location in the Marathon Motor Works building.
Cause
Church & Union is teaming up with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital patients as they step into the roles of hosts, managers, servers, and chefs on Tuesday, Oct. 24. All dinner proceeds on “Hospital and Hospitality” night will benefit the hospital. Make reservations.
We’re teaming up with Opry Mills to give one lucky Nashvillian (and a friend) the chance to win $1,000+ worth of gift cards to Opry Mills fan-favorites, including Madame Tussauds, The Cheesecake Factory, Coach, Nike, and more. Enter to win now through Thursday, Oct. 26 at noon.*
Biz
🦈 Next time on Shark Tank
Outdoor game PaddleSmash is ready for ‘Shark Tank’
Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec and Mark Cuban test out PaddleSmash. | Photo by Christopher Willard via ABC and PaddleSmash
The founders of outdoor game PaddleSmash — think: the best elements of pickleball and Spikeball — are hoping to make waves on “Shark Tank” tomorrow, Oct. 20.
Fun fact: The game taking over backyards across the nation has ties to the Middle Tennessee area. College Grove resident Tim Swindle teamed up with Scott Brown and PaddleSmash inventor Joe Bingham to launch the portable game last year.
Tune into “Shark Tank” at 7 p.m. (here’s a sneak peek) to watch Swindle and Brown pitch the game to sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec. Let’s take a closer look at how to play.
Beep, beep. Yazoo Brewing isn’t the only local spot celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend. On Saturday, Lane Motor Museum is rolling back prices to the day it opened on Oct. 18th, 2003.
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