Nashville Events and Festivals
(Nashville, Tennessee - TN, USA)
With its reputation as the country music capital of the US, many of Nashville's festivals and events are musical. There are countless musical performances in Nashville around the year, with different artists giving concerts several nights of the week and the main focus being on country, folk and bluegrass music.
Check out the ticket offices at B. B. Kings, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium for performances during your visit to Nashville. Other top events during the Nashville calendar include Independence Day celebrations and the Tennessee State Fair. There is always a good selection of things to do in Nashville.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Day
- 12th February - Lincoln's Birthday
- Third Monday in February - Washington's Birthday
- Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
- 4th July - Independence Day
- First Monday in September - Labor Day
- Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
- 11th November - Veterans Day
- 4th Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
- 25th December - Christmas Day
Nashville Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- Commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans - early January, a ceremony held at the Hermitage around Andrew Jackson's tomb
February
- No significant events in Nashville during February
March
- Music City Blues Celebration - early March, a celebration of blues music held in downtown Nashville
- Andrew Jackson's birthday - March 15th, memorial service held at the Hermitage including a wreath-laying ceremony
April
- Tin Pan South Music Festival - mid-April, this musical event showcases songwriters
May
- Tennessee Jazz and Blues - late May to mid-August, a series of concerts running throughout the summer on the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation and Hermitage providing lively entertainment to the masses
- Tennessee Crafts Fair - early May, held at Nashville's Centennial Park featuring over 150 craftsmen and women's work
- Iroquois Steeplechase - early May, equestrian event held at Percy Warner park including races and jumps
- Summer Lights in Music City - late May, outdoor festival celebrating musical, visual and dramatic art and culture in downtown Nashville
June
- American Artisan Festival - mid-June, held at Centennial Park this festival focuses on handmade craftwork
- TNN Country Awards - mid-June, Opryland hosts this country extravaganza showcasing stars from across the US
- Nashville Gay Pride - mid-June, held at Riverfront Park
- Celtic Music and Summer Solstice Celebration - June, a celebration of all things Scottish and Irish including dance, music and bagpipes
- International Country Music Fan Fair - mid-June, drawing over 24,000 fans and 100 artists, this event is held at the Opryland and fairgrounds
July
- Independence Day - July 4th, celebrations take place at Riverfront Park with plenty of food, fireworks and family fun
August
- Music City Pig Fest - mid-August, held at the National Guard Armory, this event includes barbequed culinary delights, hog-calling and pony rides for the kids
September
- Tennessee State Fair - mid-September, attracting over 200,000 people, the State Fair is one of Nashville's biggest calendar events. Rides, livestock, exhibits, shows and games as well as racing pigs, a petting zoo, acrobatics and karaoke, the fair is sure to thrill the whole family
- Nashville Shakespeare Festival - early September, enjoy live theatre and the outdoors simultaneously while you watch free performances of some of the English playwright's most popular works. Held at Centennial Park
- African Street Festival - late September, held at the university campus, this event celebrates African culture through singing, food and poetry
October
- Oktoberfest - mid-October, held in the Germantown historic district, the festival celebrates Germanic culture with beer, sauerkraut and accordions
November
- Christmas Village - mid-November, held at the Tennessee State Fair Grounds, this holiday tradition sees the sale of everything Christmas related from stockings and festive foods to decorations and wreaths
December
- Opryland's Treasures for the Holidays A Country Christmas - early to mid-December, this Christmas craft show is held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel