Free things to do in Nashville this weekend: Cultural Fest, art crawls, live music and more – Tennessean
It’s an active weekend around Nashville with the monthly art crawls, the Centennial Park art gallery opening, and lots of interesting free festivals.
Celebrate Nashville Cultural Fest
Saturday’s free Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival in Centennial Park will showcase more than 60 music and dance performances and include a marketplace with handcrafted and imported items, and more than 50 food vendors. There will also be an interactive children’s area and the Global Village, where you can experience traditional music, languages, food, clothing, decorations and traditions of the cultures that are right here in Nashville. New this year is a parade of cultures and an Ambassadors Program, where multilingual volunteers will be walking through the festival, answering questions or having conversations in another language. Plus admission to the Parthenon is free that day.
Details: celebratenashville.org or 615-862-8400
Centennial Art Center shows
Metro Parks’ Centennial Art Center, 301 25th Ave. N. in Centennial Park, will open its annual “Get Cultured” exhibit with a reception 5-7:30 p.m. Friday. The exhibit features international artists in conjunction with Saturday’s Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival in the park. The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 30.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8442
Granville festivals
The historic Granville community near the Jackson-Smith County line has its annual Fall Celebration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with music, crafts and other events including quilt exhibits, a motorcycle show and a 1960s Mayberry theme.
Granville is also hosting Tennessee’s largest Scarecrow Festival throughout October, with more than 300 themed life-size folk art scarecrows on display.
Details: granvilletn.com or 931-653-4151
Art crawls
The festive First Saturday Art Crawl is a chance to explore the Fifth Avenue galleries, plus as many as 20 other downtown galleries. There is a free shuttle, and most of the galleries have free snacks and wine, as well as great art on exhibit.
Details: nashvilledowntown.com/events/first-saturday-art-crawl
The Franklin Art Scene is 6-9 p.m. the first Friday of every month in and around downtown Franklin, with more than 30 galleries participating.
Details: franklinartscene.org
Arts and Music at Wedgewood-Houston offers great art and receptions in several locations in this emerging neighborhood the first Saturday of every month starting at 6 p.m.
Details: am-wh.com
Fall Fest at The Hermitage
Fall Fest is a free weekend of art, music and history featuring more than 50 local artisans from across the Southeast on the grounds of The Hermitage. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Proceeds benefit the Andrew Jackson Foundation.
Details: fallfestatthehermitage.com
Vet Fest
Vetlinx is hosting Vet Fest from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Granny White Park, 610 Granny White Pike in Brentwood. It is a day of music, games, kids zone, a fun run/walk, food trucks and vendors, honoring our veterans and their families.
Details: vetlinx.org/vetfest
► More: 29 free fall festivals in Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Nashville Farmers’ Market festival
The Nashville Farmers’ Market, 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., is having its free Pumpkinfest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. All ages.
Details: nashvillefarmersmarket.org
Gallatin Main Street Festival
The annual Gallatin Main Street Festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday with music, a children’s area, craftsmen and more than 200 vendors.
Details: downtowngallatin.com/events or 615-452-5692
Star party
The Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society has one of its public star parties from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday at Bells Bend Nature Park. You can learn about the night sky from amateur and professional astronomers who bring telescopes to share. Free.
Details: bsasnashville.com
Exotic Pet Expo
The nonprofit Nashville Exotic Pet Club is having its fall Exotic Pet Expo on Saturday and Sunday at Fairgrounds Nashville’s new expo center. This expo will feature a bigger variety than ever of exotic pets and supplies, according to organizers — think snakes, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and more. Admission is $2.
Details: nashvilleexoticpet.com
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TATC sale name change
The monthly TATC Warehouse sales of pet supplies and hardware are continuing but with a new name: Pets and Nature Paths. The merchandise will include pet and wild bird supplies, lawn and garden products, outdoor living essentials, sports accessories, housewares, farm and ranch supplies, hand tools and related hardware at discounted prices. The one-day-a-month sale is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 2711 B Landers Ave., off Thompson Lane.
Details: 615-364-6411
Coming up later in the week
Tootsie’s Birthday Bash
Legendary Lower Broadway honky-tonk Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge will celebrate its 59th birthday on Wednesday with a free street party on Broadway and live music. Also good to know is that most of the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway, including Tootsie’s and Robert’s Western World, never have a cover charge and have live music night and day.
Details: tootsies.net
Dancin’ in the District
Dancin’ in the District is back for one night, from 4-10 p.m. Oct. 10 at Riverfront Park. The free festival, which ran from 1993-2005, will be headlined by Leftover Salmon. Other acts include Widespread Panic keyboardist JoJo Herman and his band Slim Wednesday, Space Capone and Alanna Royale.
Details: nashvillesdancin.com
Courtyard concerts at the library
Nashville Public Library’s Courtyard Concert series returns to Nashville’s Main Library on Tuesday from 11:45 a.m. to to 1 p.m. in the library courtyard at 615 Church St. This is the final week and the band is the WannaBeatles.
Details: library.nashville.org/event/courtyard-concerts
Country Music Hall of Fame
Youth from Davidson and bordering counties get in free at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as part of the museum’s Community Counts initiative. Up to two accompanying adults receive 25% off. Fall break is a good time to check it out, with the museum’s Fall Break Fun program Oct. 4-27, where students can explore the museum with an fall break activity pack, full of gallery games, take-home activities and cool keepsakes. Programs take place Thursday-Sunday in the Taylor Swift Education Center. Proof of local residency is required for free admission. The Community Counts program also allows Davidson County residents of any age to visit for free by checking out a Community Counts Passport from any Nashville Public Library branch.
Details: countrymusichalloffame.org or 615-416-2001
Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”
Published 6:00 AM EDT Oct 2, 2019
