Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico takes the stage at 2:30 p.m. — check out the full performance schedule. | Photo via Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival
Fall festival season is in full swing, meaning October is stacked with reasons to mark your calendar.
Festival fun
Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Centennial Park | Free+ | Expect entertainment stages, educational exhibits, food, shopping, and other activities honoring over 50 cultures.
Southern Festival of Books | Saturday, Oct. 18-Sunday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | Locations vary | Free+ | The annual literary festival welcomes 150 authors to Nashville for two days of panels, book signings, live performances, and shopping.
For the family
Japanese Moon Viewing | Sunday, Oct. 5 | 4-9 p.m. | Cheekwood | Cost of admission | The 11th annual event will feature tea ceremony demonstrations and performances celebrating Japanese art, gardens, and culture.
Light the Nations | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 2-10 p.m. | The Nations | Free+ | Head to this West Nashville neighborhood for vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment.
🐶 This concert helps save dogs: Wags & Walks Benefit Concert returns
Presented by Wags & Walks Nashville
Wags & Walks Nashville has rescued over 6,000 dogs in just six years. | Photo credit Laura Moll
Wags & Walks Nashville’s Second Annual Benefit Concert is taking over Skydeck on Broadway next Tuesday, Oct. 7 for an evening of live tunes and lifesaving impact.
Featuring an all-star lineup of musical guests, including Tucker Wetmore, American Authors, Chris Lane, Tiera Kennedy, Ashland Craft, and Bellah Mae, this one-night bash is the nonprofit’s biggest event of the year — uniting animal lovers, advocates, and the NASH community to transform the lives of at-risk dogs and find them forever homes.
Festivities also include onsite vendors, a photo booth, limited-edition Wags & Walks merch, and a custom hat station.
Oracle, which has a future headquarters planned for Nashville’s East Bank, is part of the investor group expected to take over TikTok’s US operations. The deal would put Oracle in charge of the app’s security and algorithm as the Nashville campus moves toward a planned 2030 opening. (The Tennessean)
Number
$72.1 billion. That’s the economic impact Nashville’s health care industry has on the city, according to a new report from the Nashville Health Care Council. The study also found the sector accounts for more than 372,000 jobs across the region. (Nashville Post)
Ranked
1 Kitchen at 1 Hotel Nashville has been named the No. 1 “hidden gem” restaurant in the US — and No. 8 worldwide — by Tripadvisor. Reviewers especially praised its brunch service and dessert offerings. We have our eyes on the banana pudding creme brulee.
Seasonal
Hallmark will be in Nashville soon with back-to-back free fan events: a “Hallmark Holiday Takeover” at the Opry Plaza on Wednesday, Oct. 15 with stars such as Jonathan Bennett and Lacey Chabert (you may remember them from “Mean Girls”) and a “Countdown to Christmas” party the following day at Category 10.
Try This
Delivered by snail? Snail mail seems to be on the rise on TikTok, where folks are creating clubs to send artwork, journal prompts, stickers, and more to pen pals across the globe. If you’re wanting some flair in your mailbox, check out these monthly subscriptions.
Travel
Alabama’s Beaches aren’t just about the waves: Visit the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, catch a show at The Wharf, or dive into family fun at Adventure Island. Plan a fall trip to explore attractions that make your beach trip special.*
Finance
Tackling debt is crucial for many Americans in 2025. This trending card — “worth its weight in gold,” according to experts — offers 0% intro APR on balance transfers into 2027. (Read: Nearly two years of interest-free payments.)Learn more + apply.*
Watch
Psst … you shouldn’t be paying for multiple streaming services. Save money and watch all your favorite blockbusters when you bundle Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max. Plans start at $16.99.*
Locust in 12 South landed at No. 20 on 50 Best’s inaugural list of North America’s top restaurants. Chef Trevor Moran drew praise for a concise menu with highlights like razor clams and lamb dumplings. If you’re eyeing a November meal there, set an alarm — reservations open at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Oct. 1 and typically go fast when they drop.
Photo frames for those wedding/vacation/grandkid photos you’ve been meaning to hang. Americanflat is having a sale on its stock of photo frames, exclusive for Prime members:
🖼️ Get a set of 10 frames for under $20 and build an instant gallery wall.
💌 Frame the person closest to your heart with 25% off a heart mat insert frame.
🎓 Finally hang your diplomas in your Zoom background with a diploma frame set for under $12.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
The undefeated No. 16 Vanderbilt Commodores will travel to take on No. 10 Alabama this Saturday, Oct. 4. We all remember Vandy’s big upset last year — and when fans carried a goal post ~3 miles from FirstBank Stadium to the Cumberland River — so “College GameDay” is headed to Tuscaloosa to get in on the action. I’ll be on the lookout for local watch parties.
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