Fall festivals, foodie events, and Halloween fun in Nashville
You’ll find three of these pumpkin houses across the arboretum. | Photo by Caitlin Harris, courtesy of Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Ready for sweater weather, Nashville? From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to fall festivals and Halloween fun, consider this the ultimate fall guide featuring 30+ events happening through November.
Festivals and fairs
Cheekwood Harvest | Saturday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Oct. 27 | Cheekwood | Alongside a scarecrow trail and beer garden, a Pumpkin Village made with 75,000 pumpkins and 4,000 chrysanthemums sits at the heart of the festival.
Artville | Friday, Sept. 27-Sunday, Sept. 29 | Wedgewood-Houston and Chestnut Hill | Expect large-scale public art installations and murals, as well as gallery shows, after dark events, and artisan vendors.
Nashville Oktoberfest | Thursday, Oct. 3-Sunday, Oct. 6 | Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park | Come for the food and stay for the 5k Bier Run, live music, stein holding competitions, and the Dachshund Derby.
A view of Rachel Hayes’ art installation at the 2023 Artville. | Photo via Good Neighbor Festivals
Food and drink festivals
Taste of West Nashville | Tuesday, Oct. 1 | Fat Bottom Brewing Co. | This year’s tasting event features 20+ vendors and everything from sandwiches and hot dogs to snow cones and cinnamon rolls.
Bacon & Brews Street Festival | Saturday, Oct. 19 | New Heights Brewing Company | Bacon and beer take center stage at this street festival boasting live music, food trucks, bacon-eating contests, and kid’s activities.
Tennessee Beer, Wine & Shine Festival | Saturday, Oct. 19 | Two Rivers Mansion | Admission includes a commemorative glass and 3-ounce samples from local, regional, national, and import breweries.
If you love to dance, be sure to visit the Monster Mash area. | Photo via Nashville Zoo
Halloween happenings
Boo at the Zoo | Friday, Oct. 11-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Nashville Zoo | Get ready for trick-or-treating, “Scary-Go-Round” carousel rides, a “Monster Mash” dance area, and fall-themed activities throughout the zoo. Bonus: BOOze at the Zoo returns Thursday, Oct. 10 for the 21+ crowd.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” In Concert | Saturday, Nov. 2-Sunday, Nov. 3 | Schermerhorn Symphony Center | Watch Jack Skellington’s attempt to take over Christmas while the Nashville Symphony performs the score live.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” | Friday, Aug. 30 | 8-10 p.m. | Mill Ridge Park | Free | Bring your blanket or lawn chair for this outdoor screening with free popcorn.
Saturday, Aug. 31
“Puttin’ on The Spritz” Pool Party | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Grand Hyatt Nashville | $35+ | Kick back on the pool deck with Aperol cocktails, espresso martinis, and a food menu available for purchase — tickets include pool access and two-hour valet parking.
“Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” In Concert | Sunday, Sept. 1 | 6:30 p.m. | TPAC’s Jackson Hall | $36+ | A full orchestra, scratch DJ on turntables + percussion and electronic instrumentalists play the sequel’s score live.
Monday, Sept. 2
Labor Day Cookout | Monday, Sept. 2 | 12-10 p.m. | East Nashville Beer Works | Cost of purchase | The East Nashville brewery will be cooking up brats, hot dogs, and vegan dogs in the beer garden.
“Pull up a seat, and take a load off your feet” at Shania Twain’s forthcoming Lower Broadway bar. The country star is reportedly partnering with Nashville Underground at 105 Broadway, but the specifics of any changes are still unknown. (Nashville Business Journal)
Nashvillian
Not only is Mt. Juliet native Butch Wilmore in space, Nashville’s Dr. Eiman Jahangir will be on today’s 11-minute Blue Origin space tourism flight, which is expected to lift off from the company’s West Texas spaceport at 8 a.m. — weather permitting. Watch the launch on Blue Origin’s website. (The Tennessean)
Announced
Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s nonprofit grocery store is expanding. Yesterday, the couple launched a campaign for The Store’s second location coming to TriStar Centennial’s B Garage at 311 23rd Ave. N. It’s not yet known when the space will open. (The Tennessean)
Civic
Metro Water Services is asking residents with automatic irrigation systems to follow a staggered schedule and only water between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. to ease early morning demand. Odd-numbered addresses should water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday + even-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Shop
“Pretty Little Liars” alum Shay Mitchell’s travel brand BÉIS is popping up at Fifth and Broadway today, Aug. 29. Stop by BÉIS Camp from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. to shop limited-edition merch and products from the company’s latest drop.
Biz
GameStop is converting select shops across the US into GameStop Retro stores, including Franklin’s Thoroughbred Village location. These shops are expected to sell physical copies of classic games, as well as a variety of Nintendo, Microsoft, Sega, and Sony consoles no longer in production.
Finance
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Announced
🎶 Nashville (it’s electric)
It’s electric: Federal grant boosts Nashville’s EV charger network
Two fast chargers were unveiled at Madison’s Serra Chevrolet Buick GMC in October 2023 as part of a multi-agency partnership. | Photo via Nashville Electric Serivce
The US Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are charging up Nashville with nearly $4.7 million in federal funds.
This investment will spark the upgrade and expansion of the city’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure as part of the “Electrify MUSIC City” project. Here’s what the initiative entails:
Expect the maintenance of existing electric vehicle charging stations and the installation of 43 new Level 2 chargers + DC Fast Chargers across 34 locations in Davidson County.
Leaders propose several charging stations be located at or near transit hubs, such as the Hermitage and Donelson park-and-ride lots and the North Nashville Transit Center, to “encourage the usage of multimodal and shared-use transportation.”
The project will also prioritize stations in publicly accessible locations, such as libraries, police stations, and community centers.
A cute graphic tee you can wear camping, hiking, or for day-to-day activities. Pick your favorite outdoors-y print + snag it while it’s on sale today for Labor Day.
Half the world away, we just got news of Oasis’ reunion tour. The band isn’t coming to the US, but you can celebrate here in Nashville by belting “Wonderwall” while using our guide to 37 local murals or “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” if you need a local spot to cry.
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