How to Celebrate the Holidays in Nashville This Year
These are the best ways to spend the most wonderful time of the year.
When you look at the holiday calendar in Nashville, sometimes you wish that there were a lot more days in December, because there’s no way to pack a whole month of fun into just 31 days. Music City offers so many opportunities to experience the lights, sounds and drinks of Christmas that it’s important to choose carefully. Luckily, the list below will help you do just that.
Through December 23
Donelson
The lights of downtown Nashville are even more spectacular when viewed from the Cumberland River, and the General Jackson Showboat's nightly Holiday cruises from their dock near Opry Mills are ideal opportunities to take in the vista. Cruisers will also enjoy a full meal, including the chance to upgrade to a VIP dinner at the captain’s table in the pilot house. A talented ensemble song and dance troupe performs holiday classics with a full show band to ensure the evening is fantastically festive.
Immerse yourself in the season
Through December 31
Midtown and West Nashville
Nashvillians have access to two different fully immersive holiday experiences this season. The first is Snow Globe 360, a holiday pop-up bar at Nightscape in midtown. The bar will be offering holiday-themed libations for purchase while you enjoy two rooms featuring multiple projectors showing animated winter scenes accompanied by DK music and holiday tunes presented in high-tech spatial audio. The second opportunity to get right in the middle of the action is called “The Immersive Nutcracker—a Winter Miracle” presented at Lighthouse Artspace in West Nashville. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be on stage as part of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet, this amazing experience surrounds you with immersive projections and special effects that make you feel like you’re surrounded by nutcrackers and sugar plum fairies.
Through December 31
Midtown
If Dolly Parton ever decided to run for mayor of Nashville, she would doubtlessly win in a landslide. At the Graduate Nashville hotel in midtown, she’s pretty much the patron saint of the joint, and their 9 - 5 suite is dedicated to the glitz and glam of the superstar. A stay there during the holidays includes a record player in your room, a copy of “A Holly Dolly Christmas” on vinyl to take home, a guaranteed brunch or dinner reservation at White Limozeen, a $100 food and drink credit, complimentary valet parking, late check-out at 1 pm, a custom welcome gift, and many more holiday treats from local Nashville vendors. Just remember what Dolly says, “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap.”
Feast on seven fishes
December 23 and 24
The Nations and SoBro
The Feast of Seven Fishes is an Italian holiday tradition where the table is set with at least seven seafood dishes to celebrate the abundance of the season. At Nicky’s Coal Fired, They’re offering the septet of seafood as part of a four-course à la carte dinner with drinks available for purchase, or you can pay the corkage fee to bring your own special bottle. They’re offering two seatings on December 23. The next night, Yolan at The Joseph hotel in SoBro is serving an even more elaborate version of the Feast. Chef Tony Mantuano is spreading his fish out over eight courses, and optional wine pairings are also available.
Enjoy a few pops at a pop-up
Through December 31
Various
Nashville apparently has holiday pop-up bar fever, because the number of these over-the-top Christmas-themed taverns has multiplied every year. In fact, compiling an exhaustive list of them all would be, well, exhausting. So pour a little whiskey in your eggnog and pick from this list of some of the best.
Check out a holiday movie
Through December 31
Various
Movie themes are a popular peg to plan themes and decor around, so if you want to get immersed in Christmas cinema, check out Hidden Bar at Noelle’s Christmas Vacation pop-up or the Virgin Nashville Pool Par’s Babes in Toyland. Elf is the inspiration behind two other movie-themed pop-ups—Buddy’s Bar at the Parlour Bar at Dream Nashville and The World’s Best Cup of Coffee Bar at McGavock’s in Franklin. The Grinch takes center stage at the street-level bar at the Moxy downtown. Three tropical pop-ups (trop-ups?) welcome guests for an Island X-mas at Chopper Tiki, Seas and Greetings at Bode, and the always impressive Miracle Bar experience at Pearl Diver. Other “pop-portunities” include Candy Cane Jane’s at Jane’s Hideaway,Penguin Express at the Grand Hyatt, Reindeer Games at Headquarters Beercade, and Misfit Bar in the penthouse at the Fairlane Hotel.
Through January 1
Cool Springs
Giving Machines are an initiative to make charity easy, and they’ve set up a couple up at the Cool Springs Galleria. Simply swipe your credit card, and Giving Machines will make sure that your gift goes to support local nonprofits. You may be buying hay for horses, diapers to help out a single mom, food for the hungry or sleeping bags for the homeless. Whatever it is, you’ll be giving yourself the warm glow of charity.
Snuggle up in a virtual ski lodge setting
Through December 31
Various
Not all of the holiday pop-ups are completely Christmas-oriented. Some of them re-create the vibe of après-ski and the cozy feelings of hygge. At Denim on the roof of The Joseph hotel, you can rent a cabana for the evening complete with a personal fire pit and the makings of s’mores plus a charcuterie board. The Skyline Lodge at Proof above the W Hotel creates a winter wonderland ambiance with cozy cabins, artificial snow and pines. The JW Marriott offers a Whiskey Wonderland in their lobby, complete with a distillery made of gingerbread and holiday-inspired cocktails. Camp Bobby at Bobby hotel features geodesic dome igloos, personal campfires, and a holiday lounge in their vintage Streamliner bus that they craned to the roof of the hotel. Chalet 27 is the Alpine experience on the roof of the Westin Nashville with small bites and love music.
Through December 24
Various
Hattie Jane’s Creamery is one of the city’s favorite scoopers, serving up delicious ice cream flavors from multiple shops. For the holidays, they’ve come up with some fun special flavors including Peppermint Cocoa, Eggnog & Rum, Santa's Cookies, and Candy Cane Chip. They’re also offering discounts on gift cards through Christmas Eve for any last-minute presents you want to give, and they ship pints all over the country.
Through December 24
Downtown
Nashville Ballet’s production of “Nashville’s Nutcracker” is a beloved Music City holiday tradition, featuring many young local dancers making their stage debuts and humorous cameo appearances by celebrity guests. Tchaikovsky has never looked sillier, and that’s a great thing.
Walk through the holiday lights
Through December 31
Various
Good thing that the scientists are making some progress on this whole fusion electricity thing, because we’re burning through some kilowatts with all the special holiday lights displays all over town. If you’d like to see them on foot, try out Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood, Enchant at First Horizon Park in Germantown, and the Chinese lantern-themed Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo.
Twinkle, twinkle from your car
Through December 31
Various
Baby, it’s cold outside, so maybe viewing holiday light displays from the comfort of your car is a better idea. Luckily, you’ve got options. There’s Jingle Beat at the Nashville Fairgrounds, The Dancing Lights of Christmas in Lebanon, and the Franktown Festival of Lights at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center near Franklin. Those last two are a short schlep from Nashville, but that’s another reason why you’ll want to use your car.
Through January 1
Donelson
They always put on a big show for the holidays at the Gaylord Opryland resort, a massive entertainment complex featuring literally millions of lights all over the property. Entertainment options include a musical dinner theater show featuring The Oak Ridge Boys, ICE!, a re-telling of the story of Rudolph created by imported Chinese artisan ice-carvers, snow tubing, ice skating and bumper cars, carriage rides, and more.
December 22
Downtown
Drew and Ellie Holcomb are beloved Nashville musicians known for their soulful songwriting and performances. The Americana powerhouse duo is inviting some of their friends and neighbors to a performance at the Schermerhorn Symphony for an evening of holiday classic songs. It’s become a December tradition in Music City.
Through January 1
Downtown
Nashville can’t seem to get enough of Buddy, and you can enjoy performances of “Elf: the Musical” at TPAC downtown courtesy of the talented performers at the Nashville Repertory Theatre through the end of the year. The actors will grace the stage at the James K. Polk Theater to sing their way through a musical version of Buddy’s journey from the North Pole to New York City to home again. Remember: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
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