Whether you are interested in chrysanthemums, Polka dancing or the Day of the Dead — Nashville has a place for it all.
A wide variety of festivals are happening in the Greater Nashville area in the month of October. Below is a list of prime, well-known locations in Nashville that offer affordable festivals and events.
Cheekwood is known for it’s beautiful gardens and art showcasing. This year, Cheekwood Harvest is showing off all the colors of Autumn with it’s gorgeous chrysanthemums collection, cute scarecrows and a pumpkin patch that kids and kids-at-heart can buy and carve. Cheekwood Harvest will continue through Nov. 1.
Along with the Harvest, Cheekwood is also hosting a “El Dia De Los Muertos” (“The Day of the Dead”) event on Oct. 24. It will provide authentic Latin American food, vendors showcasing their crafts, lively music, Aztec dancing and art activities that you can take part of, such as molding your own clay skull. All are worth the $14 entry ticket.
The Hermitage always has annual fall events that are a Nashville favorite. Fall Fest at the Hermitage is huge craft fair with food, refreshments and activities abound. You’ll see anything from jewelry to leatherwork. There’s also a community art project that uses recyclables to represent vegetables and flowers of a garden. If you miss out on the Fall Fest, the Hermitage has another event on Oct. 24: Hauntings at the Hermitage. There’s a ghost tour at the mansion, along with great storytelling and hayrides.
Every year since 1980, Nashville’s Germantown has hosted Oktoberfest. There is Polka-dancing, tasty German food to snack on, along with a marathon to watch — it’ll be a fun family-friendly experience. Oktoberfest runs Oct. 9-11.
Maybe you are not so much a Polka-dancer as you are a reader. The Southern Festival of Books is right up the book lover’s alley. Many authors from around the country join in Nashville to share their work and love for writing. There are books to buy, and poetic, dramatic readings and showcases to attend. This festival is located at the War Memorial Plaza and runs Oct. 9-11.
Within the Bicentennial Mall will be the Tennessee History Festival. Actors will dress up as locals going back to the 1700s to give speeches on Tennessee history, along with firing demonstrations and kid-friendly activities. The festival is Oct. 16-17.
Most of the places can be reached by Nashville’s MTA bus system, which is free for Lipscomb students who have their ID.