The polls are in and these are the top 10 things to do in Nashville during the holidays- from romantic holiday light shows to rowdy Santa crawls down Broadway.
Top ten things to in Nashville during the holidays:
- Nashville Pedal Tavern Party Bike Cruise down Broadway
- Partake in Holiday Activities at the Opry Hotel
- Christmas Lights at Cheekwood
- GLOW Nashville
- Nashville Ballet Nutcracker Performance
- Miracle at Hidden Bar
- Reindeer Games: Holiday Pop-up Bar
- Nashville Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting
- Santa’s Pub
- Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight NYE Party
1. Nashville Pedal Tavern Holiday Cruise
A holiday party bike cruise with Nashville Pedal Tavern will take you down Broadway where you can take in the festive lights and decorations from your bar seat. You can align your Nashville Pedal Tavern experience with the Santa bar crawls downtown and make your cruise Santa themed! Every holiday season our bar partners serve up festive and delightful drinks for riders. *Pedal Tavern riders get drink and food specials at various Nashville bars with their wristband.
Book Your Private Nashville Party Bike!
Time of Activities: Holiday Season / Anytime!
Location: Broadway and Downtown Nashville
2. Partake in Holiday Activities at the Opry Hotel
The Opry Hotel is a Nashville holiday favorite among locals and tourists alike. The entire hotel is decked to the halls in festive lights and breathtaking ornaments. When you step inside you are whisked into a winter wonderland that only seems possible in the movies. This holiday activity is awe-inspiring for the entire family. Take a skate around the ice rink or spend the afternoon building gingerbread houses. Attend one of the holiday-themed musicals, or take to the tubing park for some joyous laughter of fun!
Time of Activities: Anytime, but better at night
Location: Opry Hotel
3. Christmas Lights at Cheekwood
Oh, have you ever seen such a sight?! A sight of over 1 million twinkling lights? Whether you have or you have not, the Lights at Cheekwood are a local holiday event favorite. This holiday activity draws crowds from all over, but especially the local Nashville families. The lights aren’t the only festive sight at Cheekwood. There are real reindeer, s’mores pits, holiday carolers, Santa, gingerbread workshops, and cash bars with wine, beer, and hot chocolate (because the holidays are filled with festive drinking).
Time of Activities: November – January
Location: Cheekwood
4. GLOW Nashville
If you’re looking for new things to do in Nashville during the holidays, you’ll want to check out GLOW Nashville. This holiday event makes it debut in November. Promising to be Nashville’s brightest Christmas experience, GLOW was designed to create magical memories for all ages. In addition to attending the glowing light show, you’ll be taking in one of the country’s tallest Christmas trees, skating on a custom-built ice skating rink, and visiting Santa’s life-size workshop. This year, GLOW will be a festive drive-thru event. Take in the illuminated trees, icicle and art installations, festive gingerbread houses, and more from the comfort of your car.
Time of Activities: November 19th – January 3rd
Location: First Tennessee Park
5. Nashville Ballet Nutcracker Performance
Usher in the most wonderful time of the year with one of the holiday’s most cherished stories- The Nutcracker Ballet. Follow the Nashville Ballet into the spectacular dreamland and lose yourself in the performance. Those young and young-at-heart will enjoy this timeless holiday event. Even with the unprecedented times, the Nashville Ballet seeks to keep this holiday tradition alive with a free televised premiere of the performance. The production will last 2 hours.
Time of Activities: December 9-24, 2022
Location: TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall
6. Miracle at Hidden Bar
Once a year locals gather ’round the Miracle at Hidden Bar to toast to good tidings and to always see the glass full (of alcohol). The Miracle at Hidden Bar is a Nashville pop-up bar that comes once a year to spread holiday cheer to those seeking a festival cocktail or three. So far this holiday pop-up bar has remained a local secret, but word is getting out about the tasteful holiday cocktails and the extreme Christmas decor. So if you’re 21+ and looking for a not so ordinary thing to do in Nashville during the holidays, check out the pop-up bar in Noelle Hotel.
Time of Activities: dates may vary
Location: Noelle Hotel
7. Reindeer Games: Holiday Pop-up Bar
Keeping with the holiday pop-up bar theme, Reindeer Games will be taking over the Headquarters Beercade this holiday season. This holiday bar comes with more than festive drinks wrapped in bows. Guests will step straight into an experiential winter wonderland with 3D Christmas tree displays, thousands of ornaments, 2,000 feet of twinkling lights, a life-size Santa’s sleigh, and of course festive food and cocktails.
Time of Activities: dates may vary
Location: Headquarters Beercade
8. Nashville Christmas Tree Lighting
A must-do Nashville Christmas event- the annual Christmas tree lighting in Public Square Park. This Nashville event is great for locals and tourists alike, for those flying solo this holiday season, and for families of all sizes. There will be an appearance from Santa, performances by local choirs, and food trucks.
Location: Public Square Park
9. Santa’s Pub
If you’re a dive bar fanatic and crazy about Santa then you’ll definitely want to stop by Santa’s Pub. The pub is one of the oldest dive bars in Nashville and is famously known for karaoke performances and celebrity appearances. A few tips about Santa’s- it’s cash only, beers start at $2, karaoke starts at 7 pm every night (9 pm on Sundays), and you better be nice or Santa will kick you out. Santa’s Pub is a must-visit Nashville bar, especially during the holidays.
Time of Activities: Anytime
Location: Berry Hill area
10. Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight NYE Party
You’ve been invited to one of Nashville’s biggest New Year’s Eve parties- Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight. There will be performances by Keith Urban, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, The Struts, Amanda Shires, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and David Audé. The evening will be filled with free live music, fireworks, confetti, and the Music Note Drop at midnight.
Time of Activities: December 31st at Midnight
Location: Bicentennial Park
So whether you’re looking to take the family out to partake in the Nashville Christmas festivities, seeking a romantic night out in Nashville with your darling or you’re just looking to get rowdy on hot apple cider buttered rum with friends, Nashville Pedal Tavern hopes your holiday festivities are nothing short of festive!
