10 Things to Do in Nashville in August

Nashville is one of the most visited cities in the southern United States and experiences peak season during the summer, so in addition to the warm weather, there is a long list of activities for the whole family, music festivals, outdoor concerts, dance competitions, and plays.

Among the best things to see and do in Nashville in August are the Summer Shakespeare Festival, one of the city's most famous theatrical events, the Labour Day Parade in Cumberland Park, the Fire on the Water Festival, and Family Mondays at the Frist Museum of Art.

Schermerhorn Symphony Centre is the cultural hub for classical music in Nashville and home to the city's Symphony Orchestra. During the weekends in August, you can attend this evening show, where the local symphony will perform classics by Respighi, Beethoven, and Chopin under the starry summer sky.

This show is free, open-air and suitable for all audiences, although you should bear in mind that to attend the show in the seats close to the stage, you must book a ticket in advance online. The symphony orchestra will be led each night by a local conductor.

Schermerhorn Symphony Centre is located near the Ryman Auditorium, so to get the most out of your visit, you can book an excursion that includes a walking tour of the city's main musical landmarks.

Useful information

• Price... Admission to the shows is free, but if you want to get a seat in the area near the stage, you must book in advance on the Schermerhorn Symphony Centre website.
• When... Every year on various dates during August evenings.
• Where**...** 1 Symphony Pl, Nashville.

The Live On The Green Music Festival is a free outdoor event traditionally held every August that brings together the city's emerging artistic talent. Promoted by popular local radio station WRLT Lighting 100, this festival is also one of the most popular and distinctive local events, combining the locals' passion for music with the talent of emerging artists.

This festival includes live performances, interviews with artists, food stalls and trucks, souvenir vendors and VIP areas, as well as two stages featuring a continuous programme of local artists throughout the four days of the event.

The Live On The Green Festival is also a family-friendly event, making it an ideal choice if you plan to visit Nashville with children It's a perfect opportunity to experience the spirit and musical tradition of the city, outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum, which are two of the best museums in the state capital

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the event is free, although you can also purchase VIP spaces.
• When... Every year during one week in August.
• Where**...** Public Square Park, Nashville.

Nashville is a city built on the banks of the Cumberland River, and this tributary is one of the main reasons for its success as an industrial hub. You can also enjoy excursions that include water activities, such as cruise tours, which are available throughout the year but are more popular in August due to the city's climate.

In June and July, the city organises various events that use the river as a backdrop, so cruises are restricted or cancelled for a few days. In August, however, the Cumberland is entirely available for excursions, and the weather is less hot than during the rest of the summer, making it more pleasant for lunches and dinners on the deck of the boat.

Visiting the Cumberland River on a cruise is one of :::link|text=the best tours in Nashville|element=sc-49-1676::: and is also an ideal opportunity to see the city from a different perspective. If you plan to visit the capital of Tennessee in August, you can also enjoy these excursions in pleasant weather and clear skies.

Details of interest

• Price... Cruise tours with dinner or lunch have an approximate starting price of £85.
• When... August is the best time to enjoy the Cumberland with the right weather and the river free of activities.

Most events in Nashville are interactive, and the Big Band Dance in Centennial Park is no exception. You can take part in competitions for professional dancers and beginners, held every year in August in one of the city's most famous green spaces.

During this event, beginner dancers can attend classes in the hall before the big dance, which takes place every night at approximately 10 p.m., making it one of the best things to do at night in Nashville

The Big Band Dance also includes food trucks, craft and souvenir vendors, and street music performances, although the main show is the final between the best dancers of each day.

You can make the most of your visit to Centennial Park by also visiting the Parthenon of the South, which is a replica of the traditional Athenian building. You can get to the show site on bus lines 3 and 50 and on the Nashville hop-on hop-off tourist bus.

Useful information

• Price... Admission to the dance performances is free.
• When... Every year on various dates during August evenings.
• Where**...** Centennial Park, Nashville.

Tomatoes are one of Nashville's main local products, which is why the city holds an art festival every August that celebrates them. This event consists of an exhibition in the city's old Art and Invention Gallery, which each year features hundreds of pieces by local artists, with the only requirement being that the works include tomatoes.

This festival is free and also includes competitions in different activities, live music performances, art stalls, food stalls and a costume parade in which visitors can participate, making this event one of Nashville's best attractions.

This colourful festival also closes with the Bloody Mary Garden party, a celebration that is dyed red to pay tribute to the tomato and which draws crowds to the stages set up around the main event site and the pop-up performances.

Details of interest

• Price**...** Admission to the event is free.
• When... Every year during a weekend in August.
• Where**...** Five Points, Nashville.

Belmont University organises the Shakespeare Festival twice a year, once in winter and once in summer. If you plan to visit Nashville in January, you can attend the winter edition, while if you visit in August, you can enjoy the summer version of this theatrical event in which university students perform a play by William Shakespeare that varies each year and offers several performances throughout the month.

This summer festival is held on the Belmont University campus and also at two open-air venues in Nashville and Franklin, making it a much more popular event than the winter edition, which is only held at the Troutt Theatre.

The Shakespeare Festival, one of the most popular in the city, also includes musical performances, art exhibitions sponsored by the arts faculty, and private exhibitions for parents of students.

You can purchase tickets in advance online or at the box office located at the entrance to the event.

Details of interest

• Price... Tickets for the summer edition cost approximately £15 per person.
• When... Every year during August, on several different dates.
• Where... At different venues on the Belmont University Campus, at 8 City Blvd in Nashville and at 112 Everbright Ave in Franklin.

Nashville is an artistic city par excellence and also has an important circle of local artists, so it is not surprising that the Defy Film Festival has been included among the best indie film festivals and named one of the 100 best events in the country, as it combines local talent with self-financing experiences, a current challenge for all artists.

Defy Film is presented as a festival by filmmakers for filmmakers and each year includes a film marathon and series of conferences with the directors, screenwriters, actors and producers of each of the works presented at the festival. The event is held every year during the third weekend of August at Studio 615.

In addition, Defy Film also encourages filmmakers from around the world to submit their works to the event, making it an opportunity to promote cultural exchange for local artists.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the festival has an initial cost of approximately £25 per person.
• When... Every year during the third weekend of August.
• Where**...** 272 Broadmoor Drive, Nashville.

In Gallatin, a short distance from Nashville, the Fire on the Water Festival is held every August, an event that combines live music, fire circus shows and theatrical performances with food stalls, food trucks and craft beer bars, one of Tennessee's most popular products.

This eclectic event is ideal for beating the summer heat in the city, as you can also take a dip and enjoy the water attractions. What's more, the festival lasts several days and Gallatin is only half an hour away, so you can enjoy the event even if you're planning a short stay in the city. If that's the case, here's a list of activities you can do to discover Nashville in 3 days.

You can also make the most of your visit to Gallatin by visiting the Opryland Theatre, home to the Grand Ole Opry, the oldest country music radio programme in the United States and one of the most traditional. The theatre is located on the outskirts of Nashville, halfway between the city centre and Gallatin.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the festival costs approximately £15 per person.
• When... Every year for several days in August.
• Where**...** Lock 4 Park, Gallatin.

Arrington Vineyards is a modern vineyard that has established itself as one of the best in Nashville and hosts several events throughout the year. On Fridays in August, it organises Food Truck Friday, a travelling festival of food stalls and trucks offering live music and good food on the vineyard grounds.

During Food Truck Friday, you can also sample local wines and take a guided tour of the vineyard to learn about the workings of one of Nashville's most successful industries, which competes with craft beer production, another of the city's gastronomic highlights.

Visiting Arrington Vineyards allows you to combine a trip to the outskirts of the city with one of the best gastronomic tours in Nashville, which you can put together on your own with a wide range of food and musical performances, which are a constant feature of events in the capital of Tennessee.

Details of interest

• Price**...** Admission to the Food Truck Festival is free.
• When... Every Friday in August.
• Where**...** 6211 Patton Road, Arrington.

The Frist is one of the city's most famous art museums and does not have a permanent collection, so it changes its exhibitions every year, with an opening party that you can attend if you plan to visit Nashville in February In August, the Frist opens its doors for Family Mondays, when the whole family can enter for the cost of a £15 ticket.

Visiting the Frist Museum of Art is an opportunity to escape the city's harsh August sun and enjoy exhibitions that often include works by Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, René Magritte and many other prominent artists.

The Frist's Family Mondays in August also include special programmes for children, such as theatre cycles, story readings and interactive guided tours of the museum's galleries.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the museum costs approximately £13 for adults. On Mondays in August, the whole family can enter for the price of a single ticket.
• When**...** On Mondays in August.
• Where**...** 919 Broadway, Nashville.

In August, the maximum temperature in Nashville is 32°C and the minimum is 20°C, while the average temperature is 26°C, making it ideal weather for enjoying water and outdoor activities.

August is also a time of clear skies, although rainfall is frequent, as it is throughout most of the year in the city, so I recommend that you always have a light coat handy.

August is part of the city's high season, as is the whole of summer, so there are lots of tourists, although fewer than if you visit Nashville in June or July.

To ensure that the large number of visitors does not disrupt your itinerary , you can book your excursions in advance to reserve your place and also enjoy outdoor activities.

August is part of the city's high season and is not usually a cheap month to visit Nashville, so you should bear in mind that the costs of accommodation and excursions are higher than in the winter months.

If you want to visit the city at a more affordable time of year, you can enjoy autumn by visiting Nashville in September or October, when the weather is pleasant and accommodation and tour prices are lower than in summer.

August offers pleasant temperatures in Nashville, with plenty of heat but also some rainy days, so I recommend that you include the following in your suitcase.

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Comfortable footwear
• Sun hat
• Lightweight T-shirt
• Lightweight coat
• Lightweight trousers
• Raincoat
• Waterproof footwear
• Waterproof coat
• Waterproof boots
• Lightweight jumpers
• Umbrella