19 Best Things to Do in Nashville at Christmas (2023 Holiday Events)
If you’re getting an early start on your holiday planning, you’ll want to mark these Nashville Christmas events on your calendar!
What better way to celebrate the holiday season than to enjoy some Tennessee Christmas activities. Whether you’re looking for downtown Nashville events or things to do around Middle Tennessee, our list of the best Christmas activities has you covered!
You’re sure to get into the holiday spirit this Christmas season with the festive activities and events listed below. From Santa meet and greet opportunities to live Christmas concerts, the Music City is full of amazing family-friendly holiday options.
In the post below, we will discuss the best places near Nashville to find Christmas light displays, holiday shows, and more! So, continue reading our list of the best Nashville Christmas events below!
1. Chad’s Winter Wonderland
Chad’s Winter Wonderland is a drive thru Christmas lights display located just outside of Nashville in the town of Lebanon, Tennessee.
This popular annual event runs from Thanksgiving evening through New Year’s Eve. In addition to the amazing Christmas light displays, guests can interact with animals and see Santa himself!
2. Dancing Lights of Christmas
The Dancing Lights of Christmas event is located at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN. This large drive thru lights display runs from November 10 through December 31. The Dancing Lights of Christmas also features family friendly activities like inflatables, carnival rides, a petting zoo, and Santa photos.
3. Holiday Lights at Cheekwood Estate
Holiday Lights at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is an annual Christmas event that runs from November 18, 2023 – January 2, 2024.
Featuring one million lights on display, the Holiday Lights event also offers s’mores pits, Santa and live reindeer meet and greets, dancing light shows, and carolers.
4. FrankTown Festival of Lights
FrankTown Festival of Lights begins November 17 and runs through December 31 at the Williamson County Agricultural Center. Visitors can tune their car radios to enjoy a drive thru lights show featuring Christmas lights dancing to popular holiday songs.
5. Christmas at the Ryman
Amy Grant and Vince Gill host Christmas at the Ryman on select nights during the month of December. In 2023, the concerts will take place on the following dates: December 13-14, 16-17, 19-20 and 22-23.
Taking place at the famous Ryman Auditorium, this annual Christmas event includes your favorite holiday songs performed by two of the most popular musicians in the Music City.
6. Mike Farris Sings!
The annual event Mike Farris Sings! The Soul of Christmas features award winning artist Mike Farris. This event takes place at 3rd and Lindsley Bar & Grill. The concerts are scheduled for December 8-9 and are full of festive fun, including a live band.
7. Music City Christmas
Music City Christmas with the Nashville Symphony typically takes place in mid-December at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. This annual event is full of holiday fun, including holiday dancers, singers, and an appearance from Santa!
8. Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas
Gaylord Opryland Resort offers a fun way for the entire family to get into the spirit of the season with its annual A Country Christmas event. Visitors can enjoy activities like the ICE! experience, ice skating, ice tubing, rides, crafts, carriage rides, and more.
Plus, this year’s event includes ICE! Featuring the Polar Express. This Opryland Christmas event runs November 10, 2023 through January 1, 2024. You can read a more detailed review of holiday activities at the resort in our other post: Christmas at Gaylord Opryland.
9. Opry Country Christmas
Opry Country Christmas is an eight-night event featuring popular country artists and Christmas music. This holiday event takes place at the Grand Ole Opry on the following dates:
- November 26
- November 29
- December 3
- December 7
- December 10
- December 11
- December 14
- December 17
- December 18
10. 12 Bars of Christmas Crawl
Each year, Nashville hosts an annual Christmas Bar Crawl with drink specials at all participating bars. This event takes place on Saturday, December 19 and includes a Santa hat, light up necklace, Santa cup, and more!
While not a kid-friendly event, the Bars of Christmas Crawl is super popular, so we included it on our list.
11. A Songwriter’s Christmas
A Songwriter’s Christmas takes place at 3rd and Lindsley in downtown Nashville. This benefit concert for the CMA foundation is scheduled for Sunday, December 3.
12. A Drummer Boy Christmas
The Grammy award winning duo, for King + Country, will make a stop in Nashville for their A Drummer Boy Christmas Tour. This holiday event takes place on December 20-22 at the Opry House.
13. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Square
The annual Christmas Tree Lighting on the Square takes place in the historic downtown Franklin.
This event is scheduled for Friday, December 1 and features fun experiences like live entertainment, an appearance by Santa, and more!
14. Drew and Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas
Drew and Ellie Holcomb are popular musicians who are hosting a live Christmas show on December 21 at Schermerhorn Symphony in Nashville. This husband-and-wife team are award-winning performers who will be singing holiday songs at the concert.
15. Dickens of a Christmas
The long running Dickens of a Christmas event takes place December 9-10 this holiday season.
Held in downtown Franklin, Dickens of a Christmas features singers and dancers along with popular Charles Dickens characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim.
16. Franklin Christmas Parade
Taking place on Saturday, December 2, the Franklin Christmas Parade will be held on Main Street in the town of Franklin, TN.
This festive event welcomes Santa Claus to the town of for the holiday season.
17. The Franklin Theater
Each year, the Franklin Theater features popular Christmas movies for guests to enjoy. This year’s selection of films includes A Christmas Story, Elf, This Christmas, The Last Holiday, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas Vacation, It’s a Wonderful Life, Polar Express, and White Christmas.
18. North Pole Express
The North Pole Express runs each Saturday from mid-November through mid-December. This super fun and family-friendly event features rides on a train completely decked out for the holidays.
Guests can enjoy live carolers, hot chocolate, and interactions with Santa and his elves! This event is put on by the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. Additionally, families who plan to visit East Tennessee during the holiday season should check out similar Christmas train rides in Chattanooga.
19. Cookies & Cocoa with Santa
This year Lucky Ladd Farms is offering a special Christmas event, Cookies & Cocoa with Santa. While the typical petting zoo activities won’t be open during this holiday event, guests can enjoy lots of festive experiences like cookie decorating, pictures with Santa, sipping hot cocoa, and more!
Final Thoughts on the Best Nashville Christmas Events
If you’re looking for a great way to get into the holiday cheer, the events listed above provide plenty of opportunities for the whole family to enjoy the holiday season. From holiday lights to Christmas carols, our list of Nashville events provides plenty of seasonal fun for families.
With holiday activities beginning in early to late November and stretching throughout the New Year, you should have plenty of time to enjoy the Nashville Christmas events mentioned above. Just make sure you purchase tickets in advance when available since many of the holiday activities tend to sell out quickly.
Finally, if you’re planning an overnight stay in Nashville during the holidays, we can’t recommend the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center enough! With beautiful light displays, fountain shows, and Christmas experiences, this one-of-a-kind resort is even more spectacular during the holiday season!
So, what do you think? What are your favorite things to do in Nashville at Christmas? Comment below to share with us!
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