If you want to help fight food insecurity

• The Store | Volunteer at the year-round free grocery store to help families facing food insecurity. The Store offers in-store volunteer shifts (bagging groceries, stocking shelves, etc.) and monthly inventory shifts.
• The Nashville Food Project | Help tend to this organization’s garden or volunteer prepping food in the kitchen to combat food insecurity in the Nashville community.

Natural-born teachers + mentors

• Book’em | Join a community of over 300 volunteers in supporting literacy initiatives through activities like reading with preschool and elementary school students, preparing donated books for distribution, and more.
• Oasis Center | Dedicated to enhancing the lives of Middle Tennessee’s youth, the organization offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities, from mentoring and assisting with bike builds and workshops to packing lunches and more.

For the outdoorsy types

• Friends of Shelby Park | Contribute to protecting and preserving the East Nashville park through activities like trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and involvement in community events and educational programs.
• Tennessee Environmental Council | Check the events calendar for area creek cleanups, pollinator projects, tree plantings, and other year-round opportunities.
• Root Nashville | Help Root Nashville work toward the goal of planting 500,000 trees in Davidson County by 2050.

If you want to help your neighbors in need

• Nashville Launch Pad | Emergency shelter volunteers are needed for serving food, coordinating show sign-ups, and spending time with guests; meal volunteers (recommended for groups and families) are tasked with dropping off prepared or catered meals.
• Nashville Diaper Connection | Volunteers primarily work on packaging diapers, ensuring they are counted, labeled, and prepared into packs for distribution.

• An Evening of Musical Gifts | Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | National Museum of African American Music, 510 Broadway | Free+ | Visit the museum on Giving Tuesday for live performances in each gallery, a hot chocolate bar, food vendors, and a tree lighting ceremony.
• Nashville Predators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins | Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 7 p.m. | Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway | $41.55+ | Watch the Preds as they go for their sixth straight win.

• Hot Chocolate with Santa | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 2-8 p.m. | The Loveless Barn at Loveless Cafe, 8400 Hwy. 100 | Free | Reserve a spot to have your family photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus by a professional photographer — just bring a new toy as a donation for a child in need.

• Cast Iron Cooking | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Bell Garden Nashville, 855A Colice Jeanne Rd. | $5+ | Dishes will include pumpkin cobbler and a mixed vegetable skillet.

• Holiday Gulch Night Market | Friday, Dec. 1 | 4-7 p.m. | Noble Park, 333 11th Ave. S. | Cost of purchase | Enjoy complimentary food from SmoQe Signals BBQ (while supplies last) and Sundae Club; drinks by Gumbo Bros; and holiday shopping from local artists and artisans.
• Home Alone In Concert | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 1 Symphony Pl. | $136+| This beloved holiday classic features composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture.

• Family Program: String City | Saturday, Dec. 2 | Times vary | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S. | Free | Marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow animation, and an ever-changing set tell the story of country music as it relates to Nashville’s transformation into Music City.

• OLLI at Vanderbilt Winter 2024 Term | Sunday, Jan. 7-Tuesday, Feb. 27 | 12 a.m. | Vanderbilt University, 1231 18th Ave. S. | $60-$100 | Dabble in history, politics, comedy, music + more with OLLI at Vanderbilt’s Winter 2024 session, offering no-grades courses for 55+ Nashvillians (registration is open now-Dec. 29).*

• Thalen Double Bathroom Vanity — valued at $3,000+ and sold for $801
• DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone — valued at $900+ and sold for $401
• Samsung 85-inch Smart TV — valued at $1,500+ and sold for $945

• Franklin-based Chartwell Residential is eyeing a 41,950-sqft grocery store and 249 residential units in a six-story building near L&L Market — 3906 Charlotte Ave. Project details outline a rooftop pool, dog park, and boardwalk with an estimated completion in the fall of 2025. (Nashville Business Journal)

• New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with a special tribute, which includes a 10-minute DJ set by Mayor O’Connell. The segment kicks off at 5:15 p.m. before headliners Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, and Lynyrd Skynyrd take the stage later.

• Gov. Bill Lee will outline his Education Freedom Scholarship Act proposal at 2 p.m. today at the Tennessee State Museum. The policy suggests giving 20,000 students ~$7,000 each to attend a private or home school of their choosing for the 2024-25 school year. (The Tennessean)

• Southern Grist’s Gin Barrel-Aged Perpetual Composition landed on Craft Beer & Brewing’s roundup of “The Best 20 Beers in 2023.” The hybrid sip features lemon-floral notes and soft juniper, mint, and berries. Editors say it’s “easy to envision more brewers trying something like this.”

• Together, Nashville Launch Pad and Community Care Fellowship opened a Mobile Housing Navigation Center at Connection United Methodist Church in Donelson. This marks the area’s first center focused on unhoused young adults and the LGBTQ community.

• Middle Tennessee State University fired head coach Rick Stockstill after 18 years of leading the Blue Raiders football program. The team ended this year’s season 4-8, and the school is actively searching for Stockstill’s replacement. (WSMV)

• The halls are decked, the trees are trimmed, and all 200+ retailers are brimming with holiday cheer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Santa is here. Schedule photos + make magical memories with everyone’s favorite jolly gift-giver at Opry Mills today.*

• Ever wanted to decode your pet’s DNA? Basepaws’ pet DNA tests provide insights into 300+ dog breeds and 280 health markers — and they’re $85 for Black Friday.*