2023 Nashville Holiday Guide
- December 8th through 24th
- TPAC
- Nashville’s beloved tradition is back! See the Nashville Ballet’s spectacular version of The Nutcracker come to life! Use code EMERSOND for 15% off
- Friday, December 1st through Sunday, December 3rd
- Schermerhorn Symphony Center
- This hilarious and heartwarming holiday tradition is perfect for the whole family. Experience John Williams’ delightful score performed live while Kevin McCallister’s Christmas misadventures play on the big screen!
- Nov. 11th through January 1, 2023
- Gaylord Opryland
- Ring in the holiday season at GaylordOprylandResort where you can experience ICE! featuring The Polar Express, sledding, ice skating, musical shows and so much more!
- November 18th through January 7th, 2024
- Cheekwood
- Savor the sights and sounds of the season at Cheekwood and make lasting holiday memories with fun activities for all ages. Our enchanting Holiday LIGHTS experience is Nashville’s favorite holiday tradition, with one mile of lights glowing throughout the gardens, s’mores stations and cash bars, dancing lights of train and more!
Free Photos with Santa at Loveless
- Wednesday, November 29th from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Loveless Cafe
- Have your family photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus by a professional photographer at Loveless Cafe! Just bring a new toy as a donation for a child in need and your photos will be absolutely free! A complimentary hot chocolate bar will be available for the duration of the event. The last hour of this event (7PM – 8PM) will be pet-friendly.
- Saturday, December 9th and Sunday, December 10th
- Historic Downtown Franklin
- The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s 38th Annual Dickens of a Christmas is Middle Tennessee’s largest outdoor Christmas festival. The festival will recreate the time of Charles Dickens using historic downtown Franklin’s charming architecture as the backdrop. A variety of musicians, dancers and Dickens characters will fill the streets. Expect to see and interact with the nefarious Fagin from Oliver Twist; Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the rest of the Cratchit family from A Christmas Carol; and of course, a Victorian Father and Mother Christmas with treats for children.
- November 17th through December 17th
- Bowling Green, KY
- The Reindeer Farm, located on a small family farm in Bowling Green, KY will be your new holiday tradition! Come experience the magic of Christmas and meet LIVE REINDEER! Enjoy all the festivities the farm has to offer. Meet and learn about Reindeer, Special events daily, indoor playground, food truck and so much more.
- November 10th through January 1st, 2023
- James Ward Agricultural Center (945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon)
- Family owned The Dancing Lights returns for it’s 13th consective season with Tennessee’s largest synchronized light and music show with a 2.5 mile route and over two million lights dancing to upbeat Christmas music through your car stereo. Open rain or shine and on ALL holidays. $30 per family vehicle.
- November 17th through December 31st
- Williamson County Ag Expo
- The 5th Annual Festival of Lights is a holiday tradition that benefits local at-risk children. There will also be Character nights (Dec 1, 6, 9, 19 and 22) and Walking Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.
- Through December 23rd
- Bass Pro Shop (Opry Mills Mall)
- Experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Wonderland! Free photo with Santa!
- November 25, December 21 , 22, 23 and 27, 28, 29, 30 Also, January 6, 13 & 20
- Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary
- Enjoy a hike in the winter woods followed by hot chocolate and marshmallows. Register here
- Sunday, December 3rd from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Brentwood Academy
- Brentwood Academy is pleased to announce Christmas in Brentwood on Sunday, December 3, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This community-wide celebration will be a fun and festive way to ring in the Advent season, celebrating the birth of Jesus!
- This free event will feature family-friendly Christmas activities, culminating with the lighting of the Great Brentwood Academy Christmas Tree. Join us rain or shine!
- Saturday, December 9th
- Nashville Public Library
- White Cane Wonderland – free family event – on Saturday, December 9th at the Nashville Public Library. Braille, white cane experiences, games, prizes and more! Presented with generous support from the Nashville Predators Foundation.
Leiper’s Fork Christmas Parade
- Saturday, Dec. 9th at 2 p.m.
- Leiper’s Fork
- The most wonderful and wacky parade in the cutest village of Leiper’s Fork
Grinch Fest
- Saturday, Dec. 9th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Red Caboose Park ( 684 Colice Jeanne Rd)
- Free! Meet the Grinch himself, have some refreshments, and watch the 2018 animated movie version.
Candy Cane Lane
- Sunday, Dec. 10th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Fifth and Broadway
- Free event with photos with Santa (12-2 p.m.), gift wrapping, kids activities, and free embroidery from Ranger Stitch for stockings and select items.
Thanksgiving in Nashville 2023
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Nashville is home to many amazing restaurants to dine in or pick up meals for your family! Here are a few of my favorites!
Friday Favorites: Fall Edition
We are entering into my favorite time of year! I love all the fall festivals, pumpkin picking and Halloween! Here are a few things that I’m loving lately for the season!
These spooky pjs are the cutest! My kids won’t wear holiday pjs anymore but good news is that I still can!
It’s sweatshirt season! Loving this festive one!
My book club just selected this thriller to read! Eeek! I’ve heard it’s really good!
I’m in an earring era at the moment! These are just so cute!
My friend, Abby @belleoftheball shared this recipe for homemade granola bars this week and they turned out so tasty! Let me know if you try them!
Fall at Barnsley
Barnsley Resort in North Georgia has been a family tradition of ours for the last few years! Barnsley is the type of place that allows you to take a deep breath and truly relax! We are thankful to have spent our 4th annual trip there over the weekend! I think it was our best visit yet!
Saturday morning’s forecast was rain, rain and more rain! Barnsley is full of outdoor opportunities so we were at first a little bummed. However, we embraced the rain and it didn’t stop us from enjoying the property!
First up, we had a late breakfast at Woodlands Grill-the kids love their waffles and you can’t beat this breakfast sampler!
It’s so nice having a few dining options onsite-we don’t get in our car the entire weekend.
After breakfast, we strolled over to the Outpost to check out the latest merchandise and gifts! I loved all of their floral books!
This girl loved splashing in the puddles, playing bocce ball in the rain and didn’t mind getting wet!
On Saturday afternoon, we had an adventure like never before! We went muddin’ with ATVs! Barnsley truly has something for everyone-from the spa, farm animals and horse riding, clay shooting, golfing, educational programming and lots more!
My family’s motto was the muddier the better! We rode through beautiful countryside! Seth had a smile on his face the entire time and the kids competed to see who could get the most mud on them!
I think the boys especially are hooked and want to do this more often!
Although, this girl was sad when we were heading back in! She’s my thrill seeker!
While I tried not to get as muddy as everyone else, I just sat back and enjoyed the landscape of the Georgia mountains!
After an eventful afternoon, we showered up and headed over to the Beer Garden for dinner and live music! The kids threw football and played cornhole while we ate our pizza and watched football! It was such a nice evening! And of course, s’mores around the fire pit were the highlight!!
On Sunday morning, we rode over to explore the Manor Ruins. This unique structure has so much history and just takes you back in time!
Barnsley is such a special place and gives guests the opportunity to embrace nature and recharge their spirits! We are always appreciative of the memories made here.
I noticed these flowers shaped like a heart in the garden. It made me smile and think, we do heart you, Barnsley!
See our past trips to Barnsley (Amazes me when I look back at how big my kiddos are!)
2023 Fall Guide + Pumpkin Patches
- September 16th through October 29th
- Cheekwood
- Celebrate fall with Nashville’s favorite pumpkin village, live music in the beer garden, stroll through the gardens to see fall foliage, seasonal workshops and more!
Stephens Valley’s 5th Annual Fall Festival and Market
- September 30th beginning at 11 a.m.
- Stephens Valley
- Free family-friendly event with local vendors, live music, food trucks, a petting zoo and pony rides, face painting and a balloon artist.
- Saturday, September 10th through Monday, October 31st
- Gaylord Opryland
- Opryland’s family-friendly Halloween activities and all-ages seasonal entertainment offer fall fun with peace of mind. Jack-o-lantern walk, trick-or-treating, Ghoul School, scavenger hunts, animal encounters, Ghouls Night Out boat cruise and more!
Honeysuckle Hill Farm Fall Festival
- September 23rd through October 29th (check their website for available dates as some are reserved for field trips, etc)
- Honeysuckle Hill Farm in Cooperstown, TN
- Country Music Corn Maze, Pumpkin Train, hillbilly pig races, pumpkin patch, kettle corn, caramel apples, zipline adventure park and much more!
- Saturday, October 28th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Historic Downtown Franklin
- The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s 38th Annual Pumpkinfest is Middle Tennessee’s largest family fall festival. Autumn-inspired food and drink, children’s activities, live music, costume contests for pets and families, and outstanding arts & crafts – featuring seasonal and specialty gift items!
- Saturday, October 7th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Historic Granville’s Fall Festival kicks off a full month of decorations and scarecrows that are simply “over the top.” One of Tennessee’s Largest Scarecrow Festival, visitors will enjoy see over 300 scarecrows of Mayberry characters and traditional scarecrows. Fireworks on the Cumberland, a Quilt Show and more taking place throughout October.
- October 13th though the 29th
- Nashville Zoo
- Enjoy fall-themed scenes, special animal shows, trick or treating for the kids and more!
- Through October
- Lucky Ladd Farms, 4374 Rocky Glade Rd. Eagleville, TN
- Pumpkin Patch, themed corn maze, apple cider, caramel popcorn, farm animals, children’s games and activities
- September 30th through October 30th (See their site for daily hours)
- Pumpkins, corn maze, trails, farm animals, seasonal treats and much more.
- Open Thursdays-Sundays September 23rd-October 29th
- Walden Pumpkin Farm will have pumpkins, children’s activities, local produce for sale. Free entry and parking.
- October 1st through 31st
- The Hermitage
- Explore the haunted side of history during our Hermitage Ghost Tours! After dark this fall, embark on a distinctly spooky voyage at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage as you explore the mansion, grounds and cemetery by lantern light. Along the way, guides present stories of strange encounters such as the ghosts of the Battle of New Orleans and Jackson’s infamous meeting with Tennessee’s Bell Witch. Beware of eerie encounters, possibly even with President Jackson himself.
- Saturday, October 7th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Downtown Gallatin Main Street
- Gallatin’s Main Street Festival will feature over 200 vendors *FREE*
- Saturdays and Sundays September 23rd through October 29th
- Wilson Family Farm (4809 Byrd Lane College Grove)
- 8 acre Corn Maze, sunflowers and zinnia fields, Hayride, cow train, pumpkin sling shot, lots of activities for young and old. A true pick your own patch, but we have plenty picked for you also. Homemade jams, jellies, salsa and breads. Admission is $12 per person ages 2 and up and includes all the activities.
Fall Festival
- Sunday, October 29th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wilburn Street Studio, 307 Wilburn Street Nashville, TN 37207
- Bring your little ones, friends, family, and even your pets. All are welcome! Entry is FREE, complete with a bouncy house, pumpkin painting for kids, live music, food and beverage vendors, holiday photo session by NicoleSchaafPhoto and more!