Nashville – Local Festivals

The city of Nashville, Tennessee, has a jam-packed lineup of exciting events going on throughout the year. Visitors and locals alike are treated to live entertainment, food, art, and, of course, music.

The festivals below are just a fraction of what Nashville has to offer, so check them out and remember to add Music City to your travel bucket list.

 

Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

Being that Nashville is known as Music City, it makes sense that the world’s largest songwriter festival takes place there each year. Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival is a five-day event in which talented songwriters take to the stage. Over the course of the five days, 10 venues across the city participate in hosting a total of 100 shows. This gives more than 250 songwriters the opportunity to showcase their work.

Since the festival began 27 years ago, hundreds of performers and singer-songwriters have taken the stage. Some of these include legends like Carole King, Art Garfunkel, and Donna Summer. In addition, rising stars in the industry have the opportunity to showcase their work. Attending Tin Pan South is a great way for music lovers to enjoy a close-up and intimate performance by outstanding artists.

 

Tomato Art Fest

Tomatoes and art may seem like an unexpected combination, but this dynamic duo was the inspiration behind Nashville’s immensely popular Tomato Art Fest. Each year, tens of thousands of attendees flock to this free event where wacky costumes are encouraged. Tomato Art Fest’s driving belief is that tomatoes are a uniquely uniting food: technically a fruit but grouped in with vegetables.

But where does the art come in? Local art gallery owners Meg and Bret MacFayden founded the festival and curated art that centered around tomatoes. Over the years, this modest event grew into the enormous two-day festival it is today.

At Tomato Art Fest, guests enjoy tomato-themed activities, tomato-centric art, live music, a pet fashion show, a 5K run, a tomato-cooking competition, a costume parade, and the Biggest / Littlest / Ugliest Tomato Contest. The carefree, silly, and upbeat atmosphere is what makes Tomato Art Fest so popular.

 

Music City Food + Wine Festival

Music City Food + Wine Festival is one of the most delicious festivals in Nashville. Members of the award-winning band Kings of Leon, who are Nashville natives, teamed up with renowned chefs and the producers of Lollapalooza to create this event.

For an entire weekend, festival attendees sample hors d’ouvres, small plates, wine, and spirits all created by spectacular talent. On the Sunday of the festival, Music City Food + Wine hosts a Gospel Brunch. Guests enjoy classic brunch food like quiches and sandwiches, along with plenty of cocktails, while a gospel choir performs. It’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning.

Foodies, wine enthusiasts, and hungry Nashville residents are sure to enjoy such a delicious, culinary-centric experience.

 

Nashville Wine Auction

The Nashville Wine Auction is a charity event that began in 1980, making it one of the country’s oldest charity wine auction events. Throughout the decades, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised tens of millions of dollars for cancer-related causes.

The Nashville Wine Auction consists of multiple events throughout the season, which include special dinners with sommeliers, a champagne-centered silent auction, and a steak dinner with an array of outstanding red wines. One of the biggest events is a feast that features 20 of the highest-rated wines in the world. The 2200-Point Dinner only serves wine rated a perfect score of 100 by expert wine critics.

Other popular dinners during the Nashville Wine Auction feature special celebrity guests, such as country singer Jessie James Decker and her husband, former NFL player Eric Decker. In addition, musician Steve Taylor and his wife, Pam, open their wine cellar as a part of Nashville Wine Auction, providing guests with samples of their delicious selection. Wine enthusiasts will be in their glory during Nashville Wine Auction, attending event after event.

 

AmericanaFest

The Americana genre of music blends blues, folk, and country to create a dynamic and uniquely American sound. Since 1999, AmericanaFest has celebrated the genre through performances by up-and-coming artists and successful musicians alike.

But the festival isn’t just about listening to live music. It also strengthens the Americana music scene in Nashville. The event is put on by The Americana Music Association, whose purpose is to create a thriving community around the genre. They work to ensure that Americana music continues to thrive in Music City by fostering connections and highlighting artists who are under the radar.

AmericanaFest benefits the local music industry by bringing professionals and musicians together. Managers, radio stations, promoters, and merchandisers all have the opportunity to create connections with local artists. AmericanaFest also hosts panels and educational seminars about Nashville’s music scene.

 

Nashville Film Festival

The Nashville Film Festival was one of the first film festivals in the United States and has been bringing outstanding cinema to the city since 1969. More than 40,000 people attend this globally recognized event to screen independent films, documentaries, and movies from around the world. The Nashville Film Festival includes both amateur filmmakers and already-celebrated directors.

In addition to movie screenings, the Nashville Film Festival holds conferences, receptions, VIP events, film discussions, and professional development opportunities.

 

Southern Festival of Books

The Southern Festival of Books is a literary celebration that has taken place in Nashville for more than 30 years. During this three-day festival, attendees have the opportunity to meet hundreds of authors from around the country. Guests can get autographs, listen to writers read excerpts of their work, and attend panel discussions.

The Southern Festival of Books is free and takes place at locations throughout Nashville, including the Nashville Public Library. If voracious readers turn voraciously hungry, there are food trucks and eateries set up throughout town for the festival. The Southern Festival of Books is an incredible event for all bookworms.