10 Things to Do in Nashville in December

December is a month of travel par excellence in all parts of the world and if you visit the United States you might be interested in visiting a city as interesting as Nashville. Read on to get a better idea of the plans you could enjoy in this beautiful city.

Keyvis Montilva

Keyvis Montilva

10 min read

10 Things to Do in Nashville in December

Christmas in Nashville | ©Denise Mattox

The last month of the year is one of the busiest times of the year for international tourism and important cities like Nashville are usually a very popular destination when it comes to choosing a place to enjoy the vacations. At the same time you should keep in mind that the activities and plans to do in this city change during this month, or at least the most interesting places have to do with the particularities of the season.

For that reason I have prepared this compilation of plans and activities with the intention that you can enjoy Nashville in the best style of the locals from the beginning to the end of December. All this taking into account the festivities that occur during the month as well as the practicality and comfort of your entire group of companions.

1. Celebrate the New Year on Broadway Street

Nashville's Broadway Street| ©Victor Hamberlin
Nashville's Broadway Street| ©Victor Hamberlin

New Year's is one of the things to look forward to when visiting anywhere in the world during the month of December. Especially if the trip will be at the end of it. So if this is your case you can't miss the opportunity to join the locals in the New Year's Eve celebrations on the famous Broadway Street.

Every year this place hosts a live concert as well as the typical countdown that marks the arrival of the new year. At the same time, the whole show is usually accompanied by fireworks over the Cumberland River that can be admired from different points of the city.

Keep in mind that celebrating this holiday is a basic and elementary plan on a visit to Nashville in December. In fact it is the main plan for those people who have a three-day trip to Nashville between late December and early January. I also have to advise you to take advantage of enjoying a delicious dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville because it is less than 200 meters from where the stage of this entertaining event is usually located.

Hard Rock Cafe Nashville

2. You could also enjoy a Christmas cruise on the Cumberland River

Nashville Cruise| ©Timothy LaBranche
Nashville Cruise| ©Timothy LaBranche

On the other hand, Christmas is the great protagonist of the month of December and if you want to celebrate it you can join one of the rides on a show cruise on the Cumberland River. These tours usually take place on the General Jackson Showboat and include the participation of dancers, live music and some comedy entertainment as well.

Keep in mind that from mid to late December this will be one of the best plans you could do in Nashville. In fact it is part of one of the 63 most entertaining things to do in Nashville all year long. The big difference with doing it in December is that all the shows are Christmas inspired as well as New Year's Eve themed.

These types of boat tours usually include lunch and dinner. I recommend that you choose the dinner because it is a more exclusive experience and a bit more elegant. They usually last about three hours, but may last less depending on the speed of the river.

Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the General Jackson Showboat in Nashville

3. Children also ring in the New Year at the Children's Theatre in Nashville

Nashville Children's Theatre| ©Steve Green
Nashville Children's Theatre| ©Steve Green

The Children's Theater of Nashville is one of the city's most important cultural institutions. Throughout the year, they are dedicated to bringing the performing arts within the reach of children with the intention of getting them more and more interested in this type of entertainment.

In turn, the last days of the year are no exception to this, since from mid-December until December 31 there are usually performances every day with some of the most important plays of the Christmas season. This is in order to entertain all the children who have missed these events throughout the year as well as the families of tourists who come to the city.

Keep in mind that visiting this site is one of the best things to do in Nashville with children during the month of December. Plus, it's a plan that you can perfectly do in the afternoon or evening depending on the time of the show. That means you can spend the rest of the day touring Nashville's Downtown as well as its arts district.

4. A visit to Elvis Presley's house with its typical holiday decorations

Graceland| ©Lindsey Turner
Graceland| ©Lindsey Turner

Graceland is the name of the property Elvis Presley bought in one of the privileged neighborhoods outside Memphis. Although this place is not located in Nashville, it is one of the most interesting things to see or do while traveling in this city during the month of December. This is due to the fact that both the house and its surroundings are decorated with Christmas elements to create an atmosphere worthy of a fairy tale.

That means that an overnight visit to Elvis Presley's house is a recommended plan if you intend to visit Memphis from Nashville during one of the days of your vacation. At the same time, if you feel that this is not a favorable thing to do because you would miss out on some Nashville sites you can also balance your time by participating in one of the best tour bus tours in Nashville. This kind of alternatives help you to reduce in a short time the tour of the most important areas of the city.

5. A Victorian Dinner at Monell's

Monell's| ©Kwong Yee Cheng
Monell's| ©Kwong Yee Cheng

Monell's is a historic restaurant located north of downtown Nashville that is one of the best year-round alternatives if you want to eat authentic Tennessee food. In turn, during the month of December they host Victorian-inspired dinners that create one of the best menus in the city. Bread and onion soup as well as beef steaks with bearnaise sauce are just a few of the items that are never missing at these themed dinners.

So if you visit Nashville during the two weeks from the middle of the month through December 31, it's a good idea to participate in these events. The most usual thing is that every night this type of Christmas dinners are organized.

At the same time I recommend you to go on one of the Nashville food tours, as you should not return home without having tried some of the staples of the local culinary world such as Tennessee BBQ or Nashville Fried Hot Chicken. If the tour you choose offers a side of beer and Bourbon then you'll be making the right choice. That's because both beverages are the most representative of this city.

Enjoy a Taste of Nashville Food & Sightseeing Tour

6. A Christmas afternoon at Belle Meade Plantation

Belle Meade| ©Ron Cogswell
Belle Meade| ©Ron Cogswell

This plantation is located on the outskirts of Nashville and is one of the few remaining spaces of its kind in Tennessee where you can experience in the 21st century what life was like before the American Civil War. It is undoubtedly one of the best attractions in Nashville, but during the month of December it becomes even more interesting because the impressive Christmas decorations from a couple of centuries ago take over the whole place.

If you decide to visit these plantations in December you will not only find a perfectly preserved mansion as well as a quite beautiful countryside. You will also have the opportunity to experience and learn how the families who lived here for many decades celebrated the Christmas holidays. You will even be able to prepare a Christmas decoration with plants and flowers that you can take back to your accommodation for free.

Guided tour through the history of Belle Meade

7. Participate in a Christmas lights tour

Nashville Christmas Lights| ©Julie's Digital Photo Art
Nashville Christmas Lights| ©Julie's Digital Photo Art

Throughout the month of December in the neighboring community of Lebanon located about 15 to 25 minutes from downtown Nashville is a light display. This extends along a long road that has to be traveled by car to be enjoyed in its entirety and the whole concept is a very American event that usually occurs in most cities in the country.

It really is a Christmas spectacle and is a good alternative to participate in a local tradition during the month of December. At least for those people who travel at the beginning or end of the month and do not have the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve in the capital of Tennessee.

If you wish, you can enter this attraction riding a bicycle. In fact you should also know that guided bike tours of downtown Nashville are another one of the best things to do in the city. It is especially one of the best things to do in Nashville in winter because it is an activity that allows you to exercise and keep warm while enjoying the scenery of the city.

Rent a bike in Nashville

8. Attend one of the concerts at the Grand Ole Opery

Grand Ole Opry| ©Don Sniegowski
Grand Ole Opry| ©Don Sniegowski

The Grand Ole Opery is one of the most important venues in all of Nashville. It is a radio show that has become one of the most significant institutions in the Country music world. Specifically during the month of December from beginning to end it hosts special events that are Christmas themed and also inspired by the end of the year.

Participating in these live music performances is one of the best things to do in Nashville at night throughout the year. Keep in mind though that December is even more important, as they are quite entertaining galas that can help you get an up-close understanding of the beauty that characterizes Country music. It is also common for this site to host family activities or special holiday-themed events during the day.

If you are still in the mood to experience a little more of this musical genre you can also book a dance class at Nashville Line. Which will allow you to learn to dance like a real cowboy who was born and lived his whole life in Tennessee.

1 hour dance class at Nashville Line

9. Come out in search of Christmas carols

Carols| ©donnaskolnick0
Carols| ©donnaskolnick0

Nashville despite being a city with such a great music culture and interesting history, also has a very strong religious identity that holds true to this day. This can be very beneficial for anyone visiting the city during the month of December because it means that there will be dozens of churches in which to enjoy caroling in the best style of a city as musical as this one.

Keep in mind that in this city you can find from Catholic churches to Episcopal or Baptist churches. My advice is to choose the first one where you notice that carols are being sung during an evening stroll through the city.

At the same time when thinking about this plan you have to keep in mind that you will have the whole day to do other activities. That is why I can advise you to propose this idea on the same date you are interested in visiting some of the best museums in Nashville or also on the same day you intend to participate in a double-decker bus sightseeing tour around downtown Nashville.

10. Don't hesitate to party Nashville style!

Christmas Party| ©picjumbo.com
Christmas Party| ©picjumbo.com

Nashville is a party town par excellence and you can feel it from the first moment you set foot on its streets. Downtown is full of themed bars and Broadway and its surroundings has a large number of nightclubs for all types of audiences.

My recommendation is that when you are in Nashville in December take the opportunity to celebrate in the best style of the locals and therefore you can not miss some of the Honky Tonks downtown. These are those typical bars that play Country music or a little blues and Rock'n'Roll while offering line dancing as well as live shows.

In this city there are also great Country music bars owned by established artists of this musical genre. Blake Shelton's Ole Red or Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa Tex Mex are just a few of these.

Keep in mind that partying in this city is so important and significant that it is a plan that is even usually part of the itineraries of those who have a one-day trip to Nashville, as they know this is something they can't miss. At least if they want to make the most of their visit to the city.

Nashville temperatures in December

Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland Resort| ©Dave Lanz
Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland Resort| ©Dave Lanz

December is a rather cold month in Nashville even though it is only the beginning of winter. Maximum temperatures do not usually rise above 10 °C while minimum temperatures can easily drop below 0° on a windy afternoon or evening.

The tourist flow in Nashville in December

Streets of Nashville| ©Kari Nousiainen
Streets of Nashville| ©Kari Nousiainen

December is one of the most profitable months of the year for tourism in Nashville and could only be surpassed by some of the busiest weekends of the summer. In fact, the week of December 24-31 represents one of the largest peaks of visitors to Tennessee's capital city all year. For this reason, I advise you to book in advance for most attractions and sites of interest to you.

Prices in Nashville in December

Money in Euros| ©Ibrahim Boran
Money in Euros| ©Ibrahim Boran

December is a relatively expensive month everywhere in the world and Nashville is no exception to this rule. Mainly due to the fact that the holidays cause many businesses to temporarily increase their prices to save the profitability of a very touristy time of year.

What to pack to visit Nashville in December?

Luggage| ©Ezequiel Garrido
Luggage| ©Ezequiel Garrido

If you visit Nashville in December you can't forget a good coat that is also waterproof. Especially because of the fact that there are chances that at the end of the month you will encounter several snowfalls. As well as the fact that rain abounds in the first days of December.

I advise you to opt for a comfortable and favorable footwear to be able to walk the city at ease. Also, I advise you not to forget formal and elegant clothes in case you want to participate in a Christmas or New Year's celebration that has certain standards of dress.