10 Things to Do in Nashville in January

Nashville is one of the musical references of the United States and the hometown of some of the most important genres in the country, so the activities and musical shows are no exception even in January, which is one of the coldest months of the year in the Tennessee winter.

Among the best things to see and do in Nashville in January are attending the Jack Daniel's New Year's Eve Festival, celebrating Martin Luther King Day, participating in Restaurant Week to enjoy the local culinary highlights, and commemorating the end of the Civil War.

If there's one thing that sets Nashville apart, it's its celebrations, and on New Year's Eve, Jack Daniel's hosts one of the city's most recognized festivals. The brand, which is one of the world 's most famous makers of distilled beverages , celebrates the last night of the year and the welcoming of the next with a series of events that extend into the wee hours of the morning and include, unsurprisingly, live music and fireworks.

This free festival is held each year on the main stage of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the esplanade in front of the Tennessee Capitol in downtown Nashville. This celebration is a unique opportunity to take part in the festivities involving locals and to discover the history of Jack Daniel's, which has a tradition of deep partnership with Nashville and whose distillery is located in the city.

The Jack Daniel's New Year's Eve Festival is one of Nashville's best attractions and also an event loaded with music, excitement and fireworks on one of the most important nights of the year in the capital of Tennessee.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the event is free.
• When... Starts during the night of December 31 and lasts until the early morning of January 1 each year.
• Where... Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Nashville.

Food is one of Nashville's great heritages and in January of each year Restaurant Week is celebrated, in which a hundred local establishments participate with a 3-course tasting menu at a fixed price.

This way you can visit the best restaurants in the city at affordable prices and taste the flavors of the southern United States and other countries, as the event is multicultural and includes restaurants with cuisines from all over the world.

Restaurant Week is an event that has been held for more than 20 years in Nashville and aims to promote local cuisine and also nourish the city's calendar with activities during the off-season.

In addition, during the event Nashville's best food tours include visits by participating restaurants.

Details of interest

• Price... Each year a fixed price is set for the 3-course menu.
• When... During the second week of January.
• Where... At various restaurants throughout the city.

If you are planning to visit Nashville in January, you will see that many tourists are preparing to visit Graceland, Elvis Presley's legendary residence in Memphis, located two hours away from the capital of Tennessee, to celebrate the birthday of the singer, born on January 8. If you are a music lover, you will undoubtedly be interested in visiting one of the meccas of rock and roll.

You can travel to Graceland on your own by car or you can book a tour with transfer and skip-the-line tickets to one of the most famous residences in the United States. These tours usually include meals and a guided tour of what was Elvis Presley's home until the time of his death, but it is certainly one of the best tours to do in Nashville.

Graceland becomes a pilgrimage site for Elvis Presley fans every January 8, and also the heart of Memphis for a day, which beats to the rhythm of the musical shows and the warmth of the King of Rock and Roll's fans.

Details of interest

• Price... The tours with round-trip transfers, meals, skip-the-line tickets to Graceland and the Sun Studio visit have an initial cost of approximately 270 euros.
• Duration... The tour is a full day tour.
• When... January 8 of each year, the date of Elvis Presley's birth.
• Where... Graceland, Memphis.

Nashville was the first capital to fall to the Unionists during the American Civil War, marking a major defeat for the Confederate States during the Civil War, but it also marked a triumph for slaves as the Union fought to eliminate slavery, and that is celebrated in the city each year in January with a series of activities honoring the anniversary of the end of the conflict.

Nashville commemorates the end of the American Civil War with marches, guided tours, public events and lecture series that include the participation of activists and historians. The goal is to promote awareness of the conflict and also the importance of the conflict in the United States in abolishing slavery and improving the lives of southern citizens.

The main parade is in downtown Nashville but also includes activities in the outskirts of the city and guided tours of the various battlefields that pitted the Army of Tennessee against Unionist soldiers.

If you are planning to visit Nashville with friends and want a different kind of party experience during the early hours of New Year 's Eve, you can visit Walden Bar's Onesie, a local distillery located on the outskirts of the city that hosts beer pong tournaments that you can participate in as a group.

Admission to the bar is free and registration for the beer pong tournament has an initial cost of approximately 30 euros per team and the proceeds go to reward the winners, although you can also visit the bar just for cocktails or to enjoy the tournament from the bar.

Visiting Walden Bar's Onesie is also one of the best things to do in Nashville during the night as their cocktails are famous in the city and it is also usually included in the gastronomic tours that include visits to the bars.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the bar is free. Registration for the beer pong tournament has an initial cost of approximately 30 euros per team.
• When... The bar opens from 4 p.m. on December 31 and tournaments start in the early hours of January 1.
• Where... 2909 Gallatin Pike, Nashville.

Winter in Nashville often brings sub-0° temperatures but also a host of activities to make the most of the natural environment that surrounds the city and makes it an ideal place for adventure hiking. Owl 's Hill Nature Sanctuary is an ecological preserve of more than 2,000 species of flora and fauna that in January also hosts hikes through the woods.

These walks are aimed at promoting the care of the environment and also of the natural spaces of the city and include as a final reward hot chocolate and marshmallows, so it is an ideal activity to do with the family or if you plan to visit Nashville with children

This event is held during the weekends of January, which is when the trails of the forest located on the outskirts of the city are usually less collapsed by snow, since if you visit Nashville in February you will see that the rains are more frequent.

Details of interest

• Price... Tickets to participate in the Marshmallow Walk have a starting cost of approximately €10 if you book in advance online and €12 if you purchase tickets on the day of the event.
• When... The walk takes place during weekends in January.
• Where... 545 Beech Creek Rd S, Brentwood, Tennessee.

January's cold temperatures in Nashville encourage indoor plans in the city, so at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center you can participate in the traditional Treasure Hunt that is organized every year during the first month of the year to raise funds for the Nashville Symphony.

This event consists of finding the treasure hidden in the building by following a series of clues and also participating in other interactive games that will be great fun if you are a fan of escape rooms and board games, since you can enjoy the activities and, in addition, witness the live performance of the Nashville Symphony and the members of the Crescendo Club.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is located downtown, so you can make the most of your visit by visiting other nearby venues, as the area is home to some of Nashville's best museums and is the hub for tours and guided tours.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the event has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person.
• When... The event is held every year for one day in January.
• Where... Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville.

Martin Luther King Day, celebrated on the third Monday of January each year in the United States, is one of the most famous celebrations in the country and Nashville is home to one of the oldest memorial marches honoring the civil rights activist who was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.

This Nashville march, which has been held for more than 30 years, also includes other activities such as the Worship Service, the Labor Breakfast, lectures by local activists and a series of talks about Martin Luther King and the anniversary of his birth.

If you plan to visit Nashville in winter, you can attend one of the city's signature celebrations in January and experience Martin Luther King Day from one of the most important sites in the civil rights struggle.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the march is free.
• When... The march is held every year on the third Monday of January.
• Where... At different points in the city.

Sudekum is home to the Adventure Science Center and is also one of the main planetariums in the southern United States. During the second Saturday of each month it proposes a stargazing cycle and January is the ideal month for stargazing from its giant dome, because it is one of the months with the best star field of the year and you can enjoy it during clear days.

The planetarium also offers other activities such as laser shows, concerts and if you visit Nashville in June or during the summer months you can participate in the yoga under the stars event.

The experience is free although you will need to reserve your spot on the Sudekum website.

Details of interest

• Price... Admission to the planetarium during the activities on the second Saturday of each month is free.
• When... During the second Saturday of January.
• Where... 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville.

Nashville is essentially a waterfront city, relying on the Cumberland River and offering many water activities in the summer. During the winter, with the exception of cruises, most of these activities are suspended, but in January there is the Nashville Boat Show, an event that will be ideal for you if you are a boat enthusiast, held at the Music City Center.

The Nashville Boat Show includes the presentation of the best brands in powerboating, an extensive display of boats, workshops and clinics for children and adults, as well as boating safety courses and opening and closing musical performances.

If you want to attend the Boat Show, which is held every year during the first week of January, you can purchase tickets in advance online or at the box office at the time of your visit.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the event has an initial cost of approximately 14 euros per person. Children under the age of 12 are free.
• When... Every year during the first week of January.
• Where... Music City Center, Nashville.

January is one of the coldest months of the year in Nashville and reaches minimum temperatures below 0° and maximum temperatures do not exceed 8°, with average temperatures of 3°, so snowfalls are frequent, although it is less rainy than February.

In Nashville the winter days are short and it gets dark early, so if you want to get the most out of your visit I advise you to start your tour early in the morning.

Winter is Nashville's off-season, so the influx of tourists decreases significantly. Still, the city offers an extensive list of activities to do.

The low tourist influx will help you to visit the city quietly and with few tourists during the activities, although on the downside you will find that unlike if you visit Nashville in June or during the summer months many tours may not be available.

January is the coldest month of the year in Nashville and is part of the low season, so it is also the most affordable month to visit the city on a budget, which will allow you to save money on tours and especially on accommodations.

You can also save money by booking the best Nashville tours in advance online to take advantage of online discounts.

In January the temperatures in Nashville are very cold and also snowfalls are very common so I advise you to include the following items in your suitcase:

• Winter coats
• Waterproof and comfortable boots
• Thermal socks
• Waterproof and tactile gloves
• Woolen hat
• Wool scarf
• Wool sweaters
• Fleece pants
• Thermal fleece