Ms. Cheap picks 102 free events for your 2020 calendar – The Tennessean
Ms. Cheap picks 102 free events for your 2020 calendar The Tennessean
You should never, ever say there’s nothing to do in the Nashville area.
From concerts to hiking to arts or museums to family fun, Middle Tennessee has plenty to fill your calendar this year.
I could probably give you 2020 things to do in 2020, but I settled with 102. To make it even sweeter, they are all free.
1. Country Music Hall of Fame
Youth from Davidson and bordering counties get in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum free through the museum’s Community Counts initiative. Up to two accompanying adults receive 25% off. Fall and spring breaks are good times to check it out with the museum’s free programs, where students can explore the museum with an activity pack full of gallery games, at-home activities and cool keepsakes. Proof of area 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. There is also usually a Ford Community Free Day in December.
Details: countrymusichalloffame.org or 615-416-2001
2. Explore Library’s Civil Rights Room
The Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St., is filled with materials that capture the drama of the 1960s when thousands of African Americans in Nashville sparked a nonviolent challenge to racial segregation in the city and across the South. The collection includes a video presentation, a black and white photography exhibit, as well as other resources.
The room, which overlooks the intersection of Church Street and Seventh Avenue North, where nonviolent protests against segregated lunch counters took place, is open during regular library hours. You can request a free tour for individuals and groups.
Details: library.nashville.org/research/collection/civil-rights-room
3. Big band dances
Summer big band Saturday night dances take place in the event shelter at the back of Centennial Park, with big band orchestras playing from 7-10 p.m. June through August. The family-friendly nights include free dance lessons and a different 18- to 20-piece band each week.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8440
4. Bluebird Cafe
The famed Bluebird Cafe’s early show at 6 or 6:30 p.m. is almost always free. Most Sunday night Writers Nights, Sunday Spotlights and Monday Open Mics do not have cover charges. However, every show except Open Mic has a $10 food/drink minimum per person, and there is a $3.28 reservation fee online per person. All reservations must be made online, where you can find when tickets to specific shows go on sale.
Details: Bluebirdcafe.com or 615-383-1461
Bluebird Cafe tickets: 5 tips to snag a reservation at Nashville’s iconic venue
5. Watch the Titans for free
You don’t have to buy pricey tickets to the Titans games to see the team in action. Fans can watch the Titans’ open practices and get autographs in late July and early August at Saint Thomas Sports Park, 45 Great Circle Road in MetroCenter.
Details: titansonline.com
6. Cherry Blossom Festival
The 12th annual Japan-America Society of Tennessee’s Cherry Blossom Festival will be held at Nashville’s Public Square Park on April 4, with live music, Japanese crafts, a Ginza marketplace, martial arts and children’s activities.
Details: nashvillecherryblossomfestival.org
7. Go honky-tonking
Head for the honky-tonks on Lower Broadway: Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Rippy’s, Robert’s Western World, The Stage, Legends Corner and more. Most never charge a cover and have live music night and day. Tootsie’s even puts on a free “Birthday Bash” street party concert every year in October.
Details: nashvilledowntown.com
8. Outdoor symphony
The Nashville Symphony’s outdoor concert series is a perennial summer favorite with the full symphony playing at various Midstate locations in June.
Details: nashvillesymphony.org
9. Plaza Mariachi
Plaza Mariachi Music City, a Hispanic entertainment mall at 3955 Nolensville Road, has free events throughout the week, including the Saturday Kid’s Day from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a bilingual story time, art, music, dancing and more. There is also a bilingual story time at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and assorted fun, including salsa dancing, concerts, DJs and other entertainment. Some are ticketed events, but most are free.
Details: plazamariachi.com
10. Tennessee State Museum
The $160 million Tennessee State Museum opened next to the Nashville Farmers’ Market in fall 2018, and admission is always free. The interactive museum is known for its wonderful permanent collection of state history and Civil War artifacts, and it has rotating contemporary exhibits. The museum has monthly story times and lunch-and-learn programs on history and art.
The recently updated and still free Military History Branch of the Tennessee State Museum is in the War Memorial Building, with exhibits dealing with conflicts from the Spanish-American War through the World Wars and the War on Terror. Both are closed on Mondays.
Details: tnmuseum.org or 615-741-2692
11. Summer Shakespeare
After 30 years of performances in Centennial Park, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s “Summer Shakespeare” moved last summer to a new 600-700 seat amphitheater at OneCity, a mixed-use development at Charlotte Pike and 28th Avenue North, less than a mile from the bandshell where “Summer Shakespeare” used to take place.
The 2020 show in August and September will be “What You Will (Twelfth Night),” directed by guest director Jim Warren, the founding artistic director of the American Shakespeare Center and Blackfriars Theater in Staunton, Virginia.
The OneCity performances at 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday Aug. 13-Sept. 13 include a pre-show lecture and family entertainment starting at 5:30 p.m. It is all free, but the festival suggests a $10 per person donation. They also offer “royal packages” for $75 with a lot of perks.
The show will also be performed at Academy Park in Franklin Sept. 17-20.
Another nod to the Bard is “Shakespeare Allowed,” a partnership between the Nashville Shakespeare Festival and the Nashville Public Library that takes place at noon on the first Saturday of the month for a reading of one play.
Details: nashvilleshakes.org
12. CMA Fest
The June 4-7 CMA Music Festival brings the biggest stars to town for its coveted nighttime ticketed concerts. But there will also be four full days of free music from hundreds of artists on seven stages in downtown Nashville, plus other activities.
Details: cmafest.com
13. Puppet shows
Nashville Public Library’s Wishing Chair Productions professional puppeteer troupe performs hundreds of shows a year at the Main Library, with most performances at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Wishing Chair’s Puppet Truck, a traveling truck stage of tall tales and terrific treasures, also performs shows at branches and other locations.
Details: nashvillepubliclibrary.org/wishingchair or 615-862-5800
14. Franklin’s Main Street Festival
The Heritage Foundation’s Main Street Festival in downtown Franklin is April 25-26. This outdoor arts and crafts show and entertainment festival, located along historic Main Street, features about 200 artists and craftspeople.
Details: williamsonheritage.org
15. String City
The popular “String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry,” the original puppet show chronicling the history of country music, will be back in 2020 for a series of performances in the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This production is for music lovers of all ages. It features marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow/animation puppetry and an ever-changing set to tell country music history as it relates to Nashville’s transformation into Music City. The program is co-presented by the Nashville Public Library’s Wishing Chair Productions and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Details: countrymusichalloffame.org
16. Tour the State Capitol
Guided tours of the Tennessee State Capitol are available Monday-Friday. Tours leave from the information desk on the first floor of the Capitol every hour, on the hour, from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. You can also take a self-guided tour using the informational pamphlet available at the information desk.
Details: 615-741-0830
17. Courtyard concerts
Nashville Public Library offers live lunchtime concerts on Tuesdays in early fall in the courtyard of the Main Library, 615 Church St.
Details: library.nashville.org
18. Oktoberfest
The 41st annual Oktoberfest in historic Germantown is a raucous weekend of music and family fun that takes over 10 blocks. There is live German music, authentic polka dancing, strolling accordion players, a beer garden, authentic German food and a pup parade. The 2020 dates are Oct. 8-11.
Details: thenashvilleoktoberfest.com
19. Downtown Nashville concerts
Nashville Convention & Visitors’ Corp.’s annual New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July free concerts in downtown have become signature events for locals and tourists. The New Year’s Eve musical extravaganza, with big-name artists like Keith Urban, takes place at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. The Fourth of July event, with a night full of music capped off by fireworks and accompaniment from the Nashville Symphony, takes place on the Riverfront.
Details: visitmusiccity.com
20. Radnor Lake aviary and more
Check out the Barbara J. Mapp Aviary Education Center, open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and 1 p.m. to sunset on Saturdays, at Radnor Lake State Park, 1160 Otter Creek Road. You can also make a reservation to enjoy ranger-led hikes and birds of prey or reptile programs throughout the year, plus sunrise or sunset canoe floats in summer. Some programs have a cost or reservation fee, but many are free.
Details: radnorlake.org
21. Free horse races
If you want to see a horse race, Kentucky Downs’ annual season of live turf horse racing takes place in the fall with several days of races. The 2020 dates are: Sept. 2, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13. Admission and parking are free. Kentucky Downs is in Franklin, Kentucky, just off Interstate 65 at Exit 2.
Details: kentuckydowns.com/racing/live-racing or 270-586-7778
22. Open house at Dyer Observatory
Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory, 1000 Oman Drive, Brentwood, is closed to the public December-February, but there are open houses from 9 a.m. to noon the first Tuesday of other months.
Astronomers offer tours of the observatory at 9 and 10:30 a.m., including the Seyfert telescope. Weather permitting, visitors can enjoy the Star Chamber and sundial garden and view the sun through the solar telescope. You must have a reservation.
Details: dyer.vanderbilt.edu
23. Flea market
The flea market at Fairgrounds Nashville is always fun to explore. It is the fourth weekend of every month except December, when it is the third weekend. Parking is $5, but admission is free. Hundreds of vendors are inside and out.
Details: thefairgrounds.com/fleamarket
24. Strawberry festival
The 79th annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in downtown Portland will take place May 9. Not only does it include berries for sale on “Strawberry Lane,” but it has a full day of family-friendly strawberry-themed fun.
Details: middletennesseestrawberryfestival.net
25. Nashville Zoo freebies
The Nashville Zoo rarely has free days, but every December, it teams up with the Metro Police Mounted Patrol for a toy collection drive, where they give free admission coupons to people who donate toys. And the zoo usually also has a free day for military personnel and their immediate family in November.
Details: nashvillezoo.org
Ms. Cheap tips: 11 ways to make the most of your Nashville Zoo visit
26. See the Predators practice
A good chance to get a free inside look at the Nashville Predators is catching a practice. The Preds’ practices at Centennial Sportsplex are free and frequently open to the public, and the players are usually happy to give autographs and fan photos.
Details: nhl.com/predators
27. Jazz On The Cumberland 2020
The 9th annual Jazz on the Cumberland Concert Series kicks off with the Mother’s Day concert May 10, followed by a Father’s Day concert on June 21. The family-friendly jazz music series offers local, regional and national jazz acts on select Sundays from 5:30-8 p.m. through October. Located at Cumberland Park, 592 S. First St., beside Nissan Stadium, with $5 parking in Lots R & T. Gates open at 4 p.m. with food trucks, vendors and a Kid’s Fun Play Zone.
Details: victorchatman.com/jazz-on-the-cumberland
28. Enjoy Hatch Show Print
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has a free monthly Sunday family program for ages 5 and up and accompanying adults. The Letterpress Art Workshop, at the museum’s Hatch Show Print facility at 224 Fifth Ave. S., takes place at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Attendees need a program pass to guarantee admission, and the passes are handed out 30 minutes before sessions.
You can also enjoy a DIY tour of Hatch Show Print, which is one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in the country and continues to be operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame. Paid tours are offered daily, but you can watch the process through the glass without paying.
Details: hatchshowprint.com or 615-416-2001
29. Frist Art Museum
Frist Art Museum is free for children 18 and younger and has a number of free-for-everyone days. Kids (and adults) love the interactive Martin ArtQuest gallery where you can make art to take home. Admission is free for college students on Thursday and Friday nights (with the exception of Frist Fridays), and there is free evening music in the cafe every Thursday and Friday
Details: fristartmuseum.org or 615-244-3340
30. Tomato Art Fest
The 17th annual Tomato Art Fest takes place Aug. 7-8 in East Nashville. This is a full day of family-oriented, costume-friendly fun with plenty of tomato eating, tomato-themed games, contests, a parade, art and business booths, music and children’s activities. In recent years, an estimated 60,000 have come to celebrate the beloved food, admire the art and enjoy the day’s festivities.
Details: tomatoartfest.com or 615-226-2070
31. Southern Festival of Books
The 31st annual Southern Festival of Books, set for Oct. 9-11 on War Memorial Plaza and at the downtown library, will feature as many as 200 authors gathered for talks, readings, panels and book signings. There are children’s story times and music and book sales.
Details: humanitiestennessee.org
► Want more Ms. Cheap? Sign up for the Ms. Cheap newsletter to get the latest budget tips, frugal finds and free events delivered to your inbox weekly.
32. Free Fishing Day
Tennessee’s Free Fishing Day takes place in June and is the one day when anyone in the state can fish free without a license. There are also a lot of free fishing opportunities for kids that week.
Details: tn.gov/twra
33. Vanderbilt concerts
Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music offers hundreds of free concerts throughout the school year and even provides free parking in the West Garage between 24th and 25th avenues. There are also musical treats like the Vanderbilt Opera Theatre and University Orchestra teaming up for opera productions.
Details: blair.vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-7651
34. Belmont concerts
Belmont University’s School of Music has an impressive lineup of free concerts, including its symphony, monthly Belmont Camerata concerts and other student, faculty and guest performances.
Details: belmont.edu/music or 615-460-6408
35. Fisk Jubilee Singers
The acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers perform public concerts several times a year, including the Oct. 6 Jubilee Day. The original Jubilee Singers introduced “slave songs” to the world in 1871 and were instrumental in saving the university and preserving this unique American musical tradition.
Details: www.fisk.edu/campus-life/jubilee-singers
36. Other college concerts
Other Nashville-area colleges and universities have wonderful free music offerings open to the public: Lipscomb University (lipscomb.edu/music), Trevecca University (trevecca.edu/music), Middle Tennessee State University (mtsu.edu/music) and Tennessee State University (tnstate.edu/music).
37. Tennessee Craft Fair
The Tennessee Craft Fair brings 200 artisans to Centennial Park twice a year with art for sale, artist demonstrations and other family fun. The 2020 dates are May 1-3 and Oct. 9-11.
Details: tennesseecraft.org or 615-736-7600
38. Kidsville at the Parthenon
Kidsville at the Parthenon takes place at 11 a.m. most Saturdays, offering a Parthenon-themed craft and story for children and families. It is a great way to get free Parthenon admission for the family and a good program. There is a Kidsville Family Festival at Centennial Park on Sept. 19.
Details: kidsvilleonline.org
39. Take the Nissan plant tour
The 6-million-square-foot Smyrna Nissan plant offers a free guided tour (ages 10 and up) with a start-to-finish look at how cars are assembled. You can reserve a tour at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. most Tuesdays and Thursdays. The tram tour takes groups through the plant, showing the various steps that take a big block of steel to a shiny, ready-to-drive vehicle in just 24 hours.
To request a tour, call 615-459-1444 or email nissansmyrnapublictours@nissan-usa.com.
Details: nissan-tennessee.com/en/visit-nissan-smyrna
40. Musicians Corner
This family-friendly concert series offers free multi-genre musical performances on Fridays and Saturdays in May and June and on Thursdays in September in Centennial Park. The series also includes food trucks, craft beer and cocktails, local artisan vendors and Kidsville activities.
Details: musicianscornernashville.com
41. Hot Chicken Festival
The Hot Chicken Festival has been an annual Fourth of July event since 2007. It takes place at East Park, 700 Woodland St., rain or shine. It starts with a parade of fire trucks and free hot chicken samples from numerous local establishments. There is live music and kids activities.
Details: hot-chicken.com
42. Crockett Park concerts
This series of summer evening concerts in the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater in Brentwood’s Crockett Park will take place May 31, June 7, June 13, June 21, and July 4.
Details: brentwoodtn.gov or 615-371-0060
43. Farmers markets
The Nashville Farmers’ Market, 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., has local and regional produce and products and seasonally themed Night Markets from 5-9 p.m. the third Friday of the month. These “shop and sip and give” experiences include live music, cocktails, wine, beer, food and outreach. The market also has monthly festivals in the produce-growing months.
Details: nashvillefarmersmarket.org
Other farmers markets:
The Franklin Farmers Market is open seasonally on Saturdays at the back of The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Road. In addition to produce, it features live music and family events, including a tomato festival in July and a watermelon festival in August.
Details: franklinfarmersmarket.com
Hip Donelson Farmers Market is a music and market combo with produce and live music on Friday nights May through October at 3130 McGavock Pike at the Two Rivers Mansion.
Details: hipdonelsonfarmersmarket.org
Murfreesboro’s Saturday Market is open mornings June through September on the Murfreesboro Public Square on the west side of the courthouse.
Details: downtownmurfreesboro.com
For a full list of markets in Tennessee, check the state Department of Agriculture’s website at picktnproducts.org.
44. Spraygrounds for water fun
The interactive all-ages sprayground at Cumberland Park, 592 S. First St., is open through the summer, with fountains that range from tiny bursts to geysers. There is a wall of water, and the park has a lot of other family fun, with an amphitheater, walking trails, a wading pool and a picnic area. Located on the Cumberland River next to Nissan Stadium, there is a wonderful view of the city and a chance to watch the barges and other river traffic.
Nashville has smaller spraygrounds at Watkins and Kirkpatrick parks, which are open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8400
There is also the popular Ava’s Splash Pad water playground in Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet that is open daily from late May through August.
Details: mjparksandrec.org or 615-758-6522
More water fun is at Don Fox Community Park, 955 Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, where there’s a wading pool, water umbrellas and other fun spraying features.
Details: 615-449-0303
45. Friday Night Live
Murfreesboro’s Friday Night Live, a 6:30 p.m. “First Friday” monthly summer concert series, kicks off in June and runs through September on the downtown square. Dates are June 5, July 3, August 7, Sept. 4.
Details: mainstreetmurfreesboro.org/friday-night-live
46. Pumpkinfest
The Heritage Foundation’s 37th annual Pumpkinfest celebrates fall and Halloween on Oct. 24 along Main Street in downtown Franklin, with kids’ activities, putt-putt golf, pet and kids costume contests, pumpkin carving, music and food. This festival attracts more than 65,000 people.
Details: williamsonheritage.org
47. All Park Hike Days
If you want to take a hike, all 56 Tennessee state parks have free ranger-led hikes and other programs on the five designated “All Park Hike Days.” The 2020 Signature Hikes include: Spring Hike on March 21, National Trails Day Hike on June 6, National Public Lands Day Hike on Sept. 26 and the After Thanksgiving Hike on Nov. 27.
Details: tnstateparks.com
48. Midnite Jamboree
The Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree, which has not missed a show in 73 years, tapes at 10 p.m. every Saturday, with free admission at the Texas Troubadour Theatre, 2416 Music Valley Drive. The show airs at midnight on WSM 650-AM.
Details: etrecordshop.com or 615-255-7503
49. Dickens of a Christmas
The Heritage Foundation’s 36th annual Dickens of a Christmas in downtown Franklin is set for Dec. 12-13. This Victorian festival, which attracts as many as 100,000 people, includes costumed characters, strolling carolers and several characters from Dickens — the nefarious Fagin from “Oliver Twist”; Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim Cratchit from “A Christmas Carol”; and of course, a Victorian Father and Mother Christmas.
Details: williamsonheritage.org
50. Celebrate Nashville
The Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival on Oct. 3 showcases music and dance performances on multiple stages and includes a marketplace with handcrafted and imported items, more than 40 food vendors and an interactive children’s area. In the Global Village, you can experience traditional music, languages, food, colorful clothing, decorations and traditions of the cultures that are right here in Nashville.
Plus, admission to the Parthenon is free that day.
Details: celebratenashville.org or 615-862-8400
51. Pickin’ on the Plaza
The Ryman Auditorium hosts Bluegrass Nights at The Ryman every year, and there is a free pre-show Pickin’ on the Plaza concert featuring a top regional bluegrass band playing from 6-6:45 p.m.
Details: ryman.com
52. American Artisan Festival
This 46th annual juried American Artisan art show and fest in Centennial Park is June 19-21 with 150 artist booths, live music, free children’s art activities and food and drink.
Details: americanartisanfestival.com
53. Music at the wineries
Several Middle Tennessee wineries offer free concerts in the spring, summer and fall. Take a picnic, buy a bottle (or not) and enjoy live outdoor music. Some also have free wine tastings.
Arrington Vineyards, 6211 Patton Road, Arrington, has Music in the Vines concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April through October.
Details: arringtonvineyards.com or 615-395-0102
Sumner Crest Winery, 5306 Old Highway 52, Portland, has concerts once or twice a month May through September.
Details: sumnercrestwinery.com or 615-325-4086
Beachaven Winery, 1100 Dunlop Lane, Clarksville, hosts family-friendly Jazz on the Lawn concerts on scattered Saturdays from May through October. The concerts are free and feature bands that play anything from jazz to party music. Patrons are asked to purchase their beverage from the winery and bring a picnic.
DJ on the Dock is another free outdoor event at Beachaven. These are every other Thursday afternoon from May through August. You can enjoy a bottle of wine at happy hour prices and food truck dining.
Details: beachavenwinery.com or 931-645-8867
54. Symphony’s Chamber Music Series
The Nashville Symphony’s free Chamber Music Series is designed to allow audiences to get to know the orchestra musicians and explore the history and artistry behind the music. Each program, with works hand-picked by Symphony musicians, unfolds in an intimate setting that allows for music and engaging conversation. The final performance of the 2019-20 season is April 8, and tickets will be available beginning March 23.
Details: nashvillesymphony.org
55. Brentfest 2.0
There is a Brentfest 2.0 community festival July 25 in Crockett Park to celebrate Brentwood’s 51st birthday, with a concert featuring Rubiks Groove.
Details: brentwoodtn.gov or 615-371-0060
56. Art crawls
The festive First Saturday Art Crawl is a monthly chance to explore the Fifth Avenue galleries and as many as 20 other downtown Nashville galleries. There is a free shuttle that will take you around. Most of the galleries have free snacks and wine, as well as great art on exhibit. This is the 14th year for this crawl, which typically attracts 1,500-2,000 people.
Details: nashvilledowntown.com
The First Friday Art Scene is 6-9 p.m. every month in and around downtown Franklin, with more than 30 galleries participating.
Details: visitfranklin.com/events/first-friday-art-scene
Arts & Music at Wedgewood-Houston offers great art and receptions in several locations in this emerging neighborhood at 6 p.m. on the first Saturday of most months.
Details: wehoartsnashville.com
The East Side Art Stumble is 6-9 p.m. the second Saturday of each month in East Nashville and Inglewood.
Details: eastsideartstumble.com
The Jefferson Street Art Crawl is 6-9 p.m. the fourth Saturday of most months in the North Nashville/Jefferson Street area.
Details: facebook.com/JSACTN
57. Tour local art galleries on your own
Here’s a sampling of other art galleries, and most of them have free opening receptions:
- The Arts Company, theartscompany.com
- York & Friends Fine Art, yorkandfriends.com
- LeQuire Gallery and Studio, lequiregallery.com
- Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University, vanderbilt.edu//sarrattgallery
- Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, vanderbilt.edu//gallery
- Fisk University galleries, fisk.edu/galleries
- Leu Gallery at Belmont University, belmont.edu/art/leu_art_gallery.html
- Centennial Art Center in Centennial Park, nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Cultural-Arts/Visual-Arts
58. RC-Moon Pie Festival
The 26th annual RC-Moon Pie Festival, celebrating the South’s first “fast food,” is June 20 in Bell Buckle. The wacky one-day event, which attracts about 15,000 people, includes Moon Pie-themed games, a parade, crafts, live entertainment and plenty of chances to sample Moon Pies and RC Cola. Bell Buckle also has a Daffodil Day festival on March 21.
Details: bellbucklechamber.com or 931-389-9663
59. Get on the greenways
Walk, bike or jog on Middle Tennessee greenways. Nashville has almost 90 miles of paved greenway trails.
Details: nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Greenways-and-Trails.aspx or 615-862-8400
Murfreesboro’s greenway system — with several trail heads, with one trail along the Stones River — includes more than 13 miles of paved trails.
Details: murfreesborotn.gov/162/About-Parks-Recreation or 615-893-2141
Sumner County has great greenways and trails, including the 3-mile Station Camp Greenway and a 1-mile trail at Bledsoe Creek State Park in Gallatin.
Details: healthysumner.com/resources/greenways-a-trails
60. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, 600 James Robertson Parkway, offers a unique look at Tennessee history via a 200-foot granite map, a walkway featuring the 95 counties, a history wall and the lovely carillon, which plays every hour. You can schedule a ranger-led walking tour, and there are other free and fee-based interpretative programs every month, including a Tennessee Statehood Day celebration the weekend of May 29 and a fall Tennessee History Timeline festival.
Details: tnstateparks.com/parks/events/bicentennial-mall or call 615-741-5280
61. Ghost Story Festival
The annual Haunted Museum Ghost Story Festival is a longstanding tradition at the Tennessee State Museum. The festival is Oct. 31. There will be a costume contest, crafts, scary stories and games. This popular event usually includes a ghost trail and Tennessee characters, such as the Bell Witch and Cherokee spirit Spearfinger.
Details: tnmuseum.org
62. Explore Fort Negley
The remains of this 156-year-old Civil War fort, which was the largest and most important fort built after Nashville fell in 1862, has a visitor center that offers interpretive exhibits, interactive touch screens, artifact displays and videos about the Civil War and the fort. The center is open Tuesday-Saturday, but you can take a self-guided tour almost any time during daylight hours. The park, 1100 Fort Negley Blvd., also has an outdoor hands-on fossil collection site where visitors are encouraged to dig and explore our region’s marine past. If you find a fossil you like, you get to keep it. Mark your calendar for a free community day on Feb. 29.
Details: nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation or 615-862-8470
63. Fisk Food and Music Fest
Fisk University’s fifth annual WFSK Jazzy 88.1 Food and Music Festival is set for 2-9 p.m. June 27, featuring live jazz. The family event on the Fisk grove also includes local vendors, food trucks, a Kids Zone and free tours of the Van Vechten Art Gallery.
Details: skay@fisk.edu or 615-329-8754
64. JazzFests in Murfreesboro
There are now two JazzFests in Murfreesboro on the square: the May 2 Student JazzFest (jazz music from local middle and high school bands from all over Rutherford County) and the Oct. 3 JazzFest (professional touring jazz bands performing on one stage).
Details: mainstreetmurfreesboro.org
65. Tales at Twilight
Metro Parks’ “Tales at Twilight” family story programs takes place on Friday nights in July at Cumberland Park, next to Nissan Stadium. Take a picnic.
Details: nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation
66. Tour the governor’s mansion
There are free historical tours, as well as December holiday tours, of the Tennessee Residence occupied by 10 governors of Tennessee, including Gov. Bill Lee and first lady Maria Lee. Requests for tours and field trips go through the office of the first lady and need to be submitted at least two weeks in advance.
Details: tn.gov/firstlady/residence or 615-399-4254
67. Jazz on the Move concerts
This partnership between the Frist Art Museum and the Nashville Jazz Workshop offers free jazz concerts in the Frist Auditorium at 3 p.m. once a month on Sunday afternoons January-April. Each performance is led by an artist intimately familiar with the jazz great being profiled and includes a program of live music.
Details: nashvillejazz.org or fristartmuseum.org
68. Take a college campus tour
Nashville is blessed with beautiful college campuses, including the historic Fisk University with its Jubilee Hall and other architecturally significant buildings, the sprawling and gorgeous Vanderbilt University, Belmont and Lipscomb. You could easily spend a few hours taking a self-guided tour of any or all of these campuses.
69. Fort Nashborough
The new Fort Nashborough, the third replica of the original Nashville settlers’ fort on the Cumberland River, reopened last year. This site includes hand-hewn log cabins and blockhouses replicating the original Bluff Station that stood north of the current site. Interpretive signage allows a self-guided tour of the facility, giving visitors a look at the lives of the early settlers. It is at 170 First Ave. N.
Details: 615-862-8400
70. Free baseball
You can catch free college baseball games all season long with the Belmont Bruins (belmontbruins.com or 615-460-6420) and the Trevecca Trojans (tnutrojans.com or 615-248-1271).
The Tennessee Association of Vintage Baseball (tennesseevintagebaseball.com), which uses 19th century baseball rules with underhand pitching and no gloves, plays at various Midstate locations through the summer; and the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association (otbaseball.com) has a field for community games at Shelby Park.
71. Enjoy Nature Center programs
Warner Nature Center, 7311 Highway 100, has a full calendar of programs, including hikes, children’s nature programs, birding opportunities and more. In the summer, they have Wednesday morning safaris and Friday activities where you can explore the pond, search for amphibians and investigate yard bugs. They also have Saturday family activities, like mud challenges and butterfly counts. On any day, you can take the StoryWalk Book Trail behind the Nature Center, take a hike, enjoy the pond and garden, or rock on the back porch.
Details: wpnc@nashville.gov or 615-862-8555
Bells Bend Park and Outdoor Center, 4187 Old Hickory Blvd., has an array of fun programming, including night hikes, scavenger hunts, history programs, birding, a climbing wall and annual Farm Day, archaeology and recreation festivals. The park has frontage along the Cumberland River.
Details: 615-862-4187
Beaman Park Nature Center, 5911 Old Hickory Blvd., has nature programs, botany programs, hikes, barn events and other programming year-round.
Details: 615-862-8580
Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, on the Cumberland River at 1900 Davidson St., has hikes, bike outings and more, with paved trails running for miles along the river. They also have art exhibits and receptions.
Details: 615-862-8539
72. Green Hills Park Festival
The Green Hills Park Festival will be 5 p.m. on Sept. 12. There will be food trucks, beer and wine vendors, booths for local shops, a Walk Bike Nashville bike rodeo, an obstacle course and a bounce house. There will also be a family-friendly movie. Funds raised at the festival benefit Friends of Green Hills Park and will fund park improvements
Details: friendsofgreenhillspark.org
73. Red Caboose concerts
This Metro Parks family music series is held 7-9 p.m. Friday nights in June at Red Caboose Park in Bellevue.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8424
74. Outdoor summer movies
Nashville’s 25th annual Movies in the Park will be in Elmington Park, 3531 West End Ave., on Thursdays in June. There is pre-movie fun, including games, giveaways, food trucks and other vendors. Movies begin at dusk.
Details: 615-862-8400
Murfreesboro’s Movie’s Under the Stars outdoor movie series, which has been a Murfreesboro mainstay since 1947, has a fine lineup of summer movies at various locations in June and July.
Details: murfreesborotn.gov/parks or 615-893-2141
Mt. Juliet Parks’ Movie in the Park at Charlie Daniels Park is on the first Friday of the month through the summer.
Details: mjparksandrec.org or 615-758-6522
Wilson Bank & Trust in Lebanon has a summer Family Entertainment Series with movies and family activities at various locations.
Details: wilsonbank.com or 615-444-2265
The city of Franklin offers outdoor family movies at Pinkerton Park, 405 Murfreesboro Road. There are also some movies at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, 1368 Eastern Flank Circle.
Details: franklintn.gov/parks or 615-550-6947
Jailhouse Industry’s outdoor Lawnchair Theater, 4144 Old Hillsboro Road in Leiper’s Fork, features classic and family movies at dusk on Fridays June-August.
Details: jailhouseindustrys.com
75. Play in the fountains
The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park fountains, which represent Tennessee’s 31 rivers, run daily April through early fall with a light show after dark. In warm months, the fountains are a great place to splash around and cool off while learning a little history and geography along the way.
Details: tnstateparks.com/parks/bicentennial-mall or 615-741-5280
76. Jump in the lake
Most of our area lakes’ swimming beaches have a $5 access fee, but Lock 3 Beach on Old Hickory Lake off Walton Ferry Road in Hendersonville is free and has a small swimming area, a few grills, picnic tables and bathrooms (615-847-2395).
Several nearby state parks have free swimming beaches, too. Montgomery Bell in Burns (615-797-9052), Rock Island (931-686-2471) and Long Hunter State Park (in the Bryant’s Grove area) near Hermitage/Mt. Juliet (615-885-2422) all have swimming beaches open to the public.
Details: tnstateparks.com/activities/swimming
77. Live On The Green
Metro Nashville’s Live On The Green mini-music festival series runs Thursdays in August and September at Public Square Park.
Details: liveonthegreen.com
78. DIY history tours
The Metro Historical Commission has put together 21 Nashville history walking tours with audio that are available on your phone or other devices. The self-led tours can be taken actively or virtually.
Details: nashvillesites.org
79. African Street Festival
The African American Cultural Alliance’s 38th annual three-day African Street Festival takes place in Hadley Park Sept. 18-20 with music (gospel, reggae, jazz, blues, African drumming and R&B), street dance, ethnic cuisine and children’s activities.
Details: aacanashville.org or 615-942-0706
80. Mountain biking
Nashville has several great mountain biking options, including trails at Percy Warner, Hamilton Creek and Cane Ridge. There is a new beginner trail at Bells Bend Outdoor Center, where you can borrow a bike to try it out.
Details: nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/Outdoor-Recreation/Mountain-Biking
You could also enjoy a serious bike ride at the Lock 4 Bike Trail in Gallatin, where there’s a 9-mile USA Cycling-sanctioned base course and a 3-mile kids course (615-822-2512). Long Hunter State Park has 5 miles of trails in two loops (615-885-2422). Montgomery Bell State Park (615-797-9052) has more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails.
81. Get fit
Metro’s regional community centers at Hadley, Coleman, Hartman, Madison, McCabe, Sevier, Smith Springs, Southeast and East parks have free indoor walking tracks and gymnasiums, as well as affordable fitness classes and workout centers. Hadley, Coleman, Hartman, Smith Springs and East regional community centers also have free indoor swimming pools. There are outdoor pools at Cleveland, Looby and Rose parks, and an indoor pool at Napier Park neighborhood center.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8400
82. Skate park
Roll out to the skate park at Two Rivers Park, where you can skate on a street course or have some fun in the skaters’ bowls.
Details: nashville.gov/parks or 615-862-8400
83. Tennis
Metro has more than 100 tennis courts, most of which are free. And if you want to see some great tennis, it’s free to watch the tournaments at Centennial Sportsplex and often at Vanderbilt.
Details: 615-862-8490
84. Granville festivals
Historic Granville, Tennessee’s Mayberry Town, near the Jackson/Smith county line has several free festivals in the spring and fall and for the holidays. This year’s festivals include April 18’s Mayberry “I Love Lucy” Museum and festival; Tennessee Spirit & Cornbread Festival on May 2; and the 21st annual Granville Heritage Day on May 23.
Be sure to check out Granville’s Sutton Homestead with its 1880s home, blacksmith shop, grist mill shop, log cabin and weaving shop.
Details: granvilletn.com
85. Salon@615
The Nashville Public Library Foundation’s Salon@615 series features author talks throughout the year. Most take place at the Main Library and are free, but a few at other locations require a book purchase.
Details: nashvillepubliclibrary.org/salonat615
86. Star parties
The Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society has public star parties planned at various locations through the year, where you can learn about the night sky from amateur and professional astronomers who bring telescopes to share.
Details: bsasnashville.com
87. Tennessee Agricultural Museum
Tennessee Agricultural Museum, 404 Hogan Road, has an extensive collection of home and farm artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries displayed in a renovated plantation barn. The museum, open Monday-Friday year-round, features a woodworking collection, blacksmith shop, wagons, a barn loom and large farm equipment. The museum is surrounded by log cabins, a farmhouse, one-room schoolhouse and nature trails. There is also series of free themed family events in the summer.
Details: tnagmuseum.org or 615-837-5197
88. Cannonsburgh Village
Murfreesboro’s Cannonsburgh Village, 312 S. Front St., is a reproduction of an 1830s-1930s working Southern-style pioneer village. It will host a Pioneer Days Festival on April 25 and a Harvest Days Festival Oct. 24, with music, demonstrations and food. The village also usually has a summertime family outdoor concert series.
Details: murfreesborotn.gov/164/Cannonsburgh-Village or 615-890-0355
89. Family Days in Franklin
The city of Franklin offers a number of free family days, including a Kids Art Festival for K-12 artists on March 28 at Pinkerton Park, an Arbor Day celebration on April 18 at Pinkerton Park and Touch a Truck on May 15 at Jim Warren Park.
Summer Kids Day events include Wildlife on Wheels on June 3, Field Day Fun on June 17 and Kids Water Day July 15, all at Pinkerton Park. There is also a fall Family Day on Nov. 7 at The Park at Harlinsdale Farms.
Details: franklintn.gov/parks or 615-794-2103
90. Lewisburg Goat Festival
The 18th annual Goats, Music and More Festival is Oct. 9-10 in Rock Creek Park in Lewisburg, with fainting goat shows, arts and crafts and live music.
Details: goatsmusicandmore.com
91. Free summer bowling for kids
Register the kiddos for free bowling online at kidsbowlfree.com. You’ll receive vouchers via email every Sunday during the summer for two free games each day that week at local alleys, including Donelson Plaza, Tusculum, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Hermitage. Plus, the Franklin Family Entertainment Center has free deals for kids ages 18 and younger all summer through its “Incredabowl” program, which runs April 15 through the end of August.
Details: kidsbowlfree.com and franklinlanes.com
92. Spring football
Sports fans can enjoy free spring college football games — Vanderbilt’s Black and Gold, TSU’s Blue and White, MTSU’s Blue and White and Austin Peay’s Red and White. Just check their websites for times.
93. Vandy’s Dore Jam
Vanderbilt has an annual Dore Jam fan event just before the football season kicks off, where fans can meet the coaches and players and enjoy some fun activities.
Details: vucommodores.com
94. Story times
Nashville Public Library offers about 100 story times every month at the Main Library and various branches. One of the most popular is Tuesday and Wednesday morning toddler story times at the Main Library, 615 Church St., featuring Library Pete, The Professor and Mary Mary singing, juggling and reading with their puppet friends.
Details: library.nashville.org or 615-862-5800
95. Yoga and more at the library
Nashville Public Library offers yoga classes as many as 16 times a week at various locations. Yoga classes range from beginner to advanced level.
The library also offers free lunchtime meditation sessions on the first Monday of each month at 12:15 p.m. at the Main Library, in addition to wellness classes, including courses on cooking and nutrition.
Details: library.nashville.org/events
96. Movies at the Library
The Main Library, 615 Church St., has a Movie Club for 12-18 year olds, with showings every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. January through April. Watch a different movie each week and participate in accompanying activities like singalongs, trivia, themed crafts and interactive scripts.
The Goodlettsville branch library, 205 Rivergate Parkway, offers free movies for seniors at 12:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. It is also a potluck, so bring a favorite dish.
The East branch library, 206 Gallatin Ave., offers free movies for teens at 3 p.m. on Thursdays at its Teen Theater.
And Southeast has a “Friday Flicks” series with movies at 3 p.m. every Friday.
Details: library.nashville.org
97. Volunteer
The best way to get to know your community is to volunteer, and Hands On Nashville and United Way of Greater Nashville offer easy ways for individuals and small groups to get involved. HON pairs volunteers of all ages with projects in all segments of the community. The website describes dozens of opportunities each week.
Details: hon.org and unitedwaynashville.org
98. Gallatin Main Street Festival
The annual Gallatin Main Street Festival is Oct. 3, with two music stages, a children’s area and crafts. There is also a Gallatin Square Fest in April with music and crafts.
Details: downtowngallatin.com/main-street-festival or 615-452-5692
99. Music for Seniors
The Music for Seniors free daytime concert series features a monthly concert, March-December, at various locations. These concerts require a reservation.
Details: musicforseniors.org
100. Free animal programs
There are three great venues where you can see animal programs, including horse shows, exotic bird shows, dog agility competitions and rodeos:
- Williamson County Ag Expo Park, Franklin: williamsoncounty-tn.gov/594/Ag-EXPO-Park or 615-595-1227
- Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Murfreesboro: mtsu.edu/tmc or 615-494-8961
- Tennessee Livestock Center, Murfreesboro: mtsu.edu/TLC or 615-898-5575
101. Join a meetup
Whether you want to hike or paddle, there are meetup groups with programs and events: meetup.com/nashville-hiking. You also can find lots of group walks and biking options at walkbikenashville.org. And for paddlers, see meetup.com/paddleadventuresunlimited.
102. Free holiday concerts
Look for my “Ms. Cheap’s Guide to the Holidays” in late November for a full calendar of holiday events, including Merry Tuba Christmas, Nashville Unlimited Christmas concert, “Messiah” singalongs and lots of other offerings.
Details: tennessean.com/mscheap
Published 6:00 AM EST Feb 27, 2020