10 Things to Do in Nashville in October

The best thing you can do is to have a rough idea about the activities that are available in a place before visiting it. That's why I'm telling you about the plans there are to enjoy on a visit to Nashville during the month of October.

Keyvis Montilva

Keyvis Montilva

10 min read

10 Things to Do in Nashville in October

Lower Broadway Nashville | ©Ucumari Photography

October is a good month to travel within the United States, as it is a season with different cultural activities around the country. In Nashville there are also plenty of events during this autumn month and therefore the best things to see and do in Nashville during this time of the year are a little different than what you would find a couple of months later.

I invite you to keep reading this post, as I have compiled plans that can keep you entertained from the beginning to the end of your trip. Which will allow you to enjoy Music City to the fullest and probably leave you wanting to return in the near future.

1. Visit the Cheekwood Harvest or the Belmont Mansion

CHEEKWOOD GARDENS| ©Citizen of Two Worlds
CHEEKWOOD GARDENS| ©Citizen of Two Worlds

The Fall Harvest is a very important element of the American culture when it comes to the arrival of autumn and in case you find yourself visiting Nashville during the month of October you have the opportunity to go to the Cheekwood Harvest and this is basically the annual celebration of an autumn festival that is organized at the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens.

This site is a plot of land that is usually filled with over 5000 chrysanthemums in the middle of autumn and several acres are also filled with thousands of pumpkins for the local population to choose the one they like best.

This event is usually accompanied by live music performances as well as a variety of crafts and local products so that visitors can make some purchases of those favorite autumnal items.

You also have to keep in mind that it is an activity that can only take up half of your day and so it is a good idea to visit the Belmont Mansion before or after that plan. Especially for the fact that it is one of the most important attractions in Nashville. Also for the fact that during the month of October the entire house offers a tour that focuses on showcasing the traditions that were carried out at this time of year by its owners before the Civil War.

Buy your all-day ticket to the Belmont Mansion in Nashville.

2. You could also go to the Fall Family Fun Pumpkin Festival after you go to the zoo

Nashville Zoo| ©Stephen Yeargin
Nashville Zoo| ©Stephen Yeargin

On the other hand, if you want to get a closer look at the experience of visiting a farm cob a Harvest Fall then you have to visit the one organized at the Lucky Ladd Farms. This option is different from other alternatives because you will be able to experience events such as the possibility of getting lost inside a corn maze or bite into a caramel apple.

You can even eat homemade corn at a fair that has much more to do with the real rural life than with the simple activity of picking pumpkins in a field decorated in the style of autumn. If you want to visit this place you have to know that it is open during the whole month of October.

Just as in the previous case, you have to know that it is an activity that will not occupy your whole day and therefore I advise you to go before or after visiting the Nashville Zoo. Especially because both ideas are among the best things to do in Nashville with kids and you would be creating a day fully focused on children's entertainment.

3. Enjoy the Nashville Whiskey Festival

Wine| ©AU Magazine
Wine| ©AU Magazine

Weekends in early October are a very important time for Nashville because the city's annual whiskey festival is usually held during these days. It is a significantly large event in which fans of this alcoholic beverage have the opportunity to enjoy the best preparations from around the world.

At the same time this event is a good occasion to make a proper comparison between American whiskeys, the distinctive bourbon that is so representative of the state of Tennessee and also Scotch whiskey. Which is considered the drink par excellence when it comes to this type of liquor.

The Omni Nashville Hotel is usually the venue chosen for the event, but it is possible that it may be changed to another location depending on the expectations of visitors and depending on the number of whiskey producers that join the event.

The day you decide to attend it is advisable to participate in another of the bestactivities to do in Nashville at night and one of them are the night tours by trolley. These will take you to some bars where you can continue the party on your own terms.

4. Participate in Artober Nashville activities

Nashville Sightseeing Bus| ©cultivar413
Nashville Sightseeing Bus| ©cultivar413

Artober Nashville is a celebration organized by the city council with other community arts institutions that seeks to expose the most innovative proposals of local artists throughout the month in the Music City.

It is one of the most important public art festivals in the southern United States and throughout the month there are visual and performing arts events. There are also presentations of music, dance, film, academic conferences and a lot of activities that seek to bridge the gap between the common consumer and local art.

The event takes place throughout the city and the schedule of activities changes every year. However, it is also a reality that many of the activities take place in downtown Nashville, as many museums and galleries are located in this section of Tennessee's capital city.

That's why Nashville' s best tour bus rides can be an excellent activity to accompany the days you intend to follow the itinerary of this important local event.

5. Drink local beers at the Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest| ©Denise Mattox
Oktoberfest| ©Denise Mattox

One of the great hallmarks of October is the fact that Oktoberfest is already an event that happens in different parts of the world. In turn, Nashville being a city with such an important beer culture is no exception to this rule.

The event as such usually changes its dates according to the weekends that exist for October each year. However, the most common is in the middle of the month. At the same time the festival extends along 4 different streets of the historic neighborhood known as Germantown, which since the nineteenth century was presented as the favorite area for German migration in the city.

There is live music, lots of food representative of German cuisine and what abounds most are all the proposals of local breweries. These have turned Nashville into a very important destination in the United States when it comes to craft beer.

Keep in mind that city tours in Nashville are a good activity to enjoy at this time of the year because they can be an activity that allows you to continue getting to know the world of bourbon, beer and barbecue in the best Nashville style. Prolonging the joy of the celebration that defines this community's Oktoberfest.

Enjoy great barbecue, beer and bourbon at the Nashville Adventure

6. Have fun at Jack Daniel's World Championship Intvitational Barbecue

Barbecue| ©Pier Giulio Caivano
Barbecue| ©Pier Giulio Caivano

Jack Daniels is one of the greatest representatives of bourbon worldwide and is undoubtedly one of the most important elements of the culture of the state of Tennessee as well as the city of Nashville. So the barbecue championship organized by this famous bourbon brand is something you should not miss if you visit Nashville during the month of October.

This festival only lasts two days and it is usually held during the second or third weekend of October. You should know that it is a combination of the two great passions of the people of Tennessee which are bourbon and barbecue in the best style of the traditional recipe of this state.

Note that the event is not organized in Nashville as such because it is held in the facilities of the Jack Daniels distillery and this means that you would have to travel to the town of Lynchburg. However, this experience is entertaining and this tour is among one of the best 63 things to do Nashville knowing that either way a guided tour of the Jack Daniels distillery is something you should do when visiting this city.

Nashville tour to the Jack Daniel's distillery

7. Enjoy the latest Music in the Vines sessions

Arrington Vineyards| ©Denise Mattox
Arrington Vineyards| ©Denise Mattox

Arrington Vineyards hosts a series of concerts known as Music in the Vines from April through October. Basically, these are free access events that allow you to enjoy live music. This is as long as you consume both alcoholic beverages and one of the many gastronomic proposals. Which are usually present during the weekends of the summer season as well as the beginning of autumn.

Note that these concerts are usually focused on country music, although it is also common to see jazz bands as well as bluegrass. Which is another genre of music that has a very significant cultural connection to Nashville's history.

My biggest piece of advice is to get a safe transportation alternative from downtown Nashville that offers a round trip transfer to and from Arrington Vineyards. And anyway, you have to know that this is an event that would only take up the second half of your day. That's why the best tours in Nashville are a great way to fill your morning and complete your sightseeing tour of the city if you're short on time.

8. Go shopping at the Southern Festival of Books

Southern Festival of Books| ©Robert Hudson
Southern Festival of Books| ©Robert Hudson

This literary festival has been one of the most important of its kind in the southern United States. Basically, it is a free event that takes place every year throughout the month of October at War Memorial Plaza as well as the Main Public Library.

The specific activities change every year, however, the most usual is that more than 200 prominent authors within the U.S. publishing world are present at the event. There are also autograph sessions as well as panel discussions and press conferences for some of the literary sagas launching their new books that have been awaited by local consumers.

It is undoubtedly one of the most important activities of the month in this city and if you are left wanting to further explore the history of Tennessee and its cultural environment then visiting the event is a good opportunity to continue your day by touring some of Nashville' s best museums. Most of them are located in the Downtown area of the city, which is quite close to the festival area.

See the best museums in Nashville

9. Take a haunted bar crawl on Halloween night

Nashville Bar| ©Kinolamp
Nashville Bar| ©Kinolamp

Halloween is another of the great American celebrations during the month of October and in Nashville you have different ways to enjoy it. One of the alternatives would be to go trick-or-treating in one of the neighborhoods around downtown. However, that is only a good alternative if you are traveling with children, as it is a children's activity.

So an activity that is much more appropriate for an adult tour group is to participate in a tour of Nashville's two haunted bars. They abound all over the city, knowing that this is a place with more than 200 years of history.

Keep in mind that the best ghost tours in Nashville will be a great way for you to get to know some of the most entertaining pubs in the city on one of the scariest nights of the year. Plus, it's the perfect activity to get you into a festive mood so you can continue drinking for the rest of the night at the establishments of your choice.

Nashville's haunted bar crawl in search of spirits

10. Do a little Flyboarding while the weather still allows it

Flyboard| ©Morteza F.Shojaei
Flyboard| ©Morteza F.Shojaei

Even though October marks the advance of fall there are still many activities that were enjoyed throughout the summer. Exactly for this reason having a Flyboard excursion to one of the city's nearby lakes is a good way to seek entertainment if you like extreme activities.

The ones that head to Percy Priest Lake are one of the best. Also, you have to know that until mid-October you will have the perfect weather to enjoy the sun while the lake water is not cold enough to make it an uncomfortable experience.

Keep in mind that Flyboarding has become one of the most entertaining water activities for Nashville locals and that is why it is a good idea to experience it if you visit the city until mid-October.

Temperatures in Nashville in October

Nashville Afternoon| ©Lynn Josse
Nashville Afternoon| ©Lynn Josse

During the month of October in Nashville you may still encounter relatively high temperatures. Highs climb to around 22°C (72°F) while lows usually reach 10°C (50°F).

The tourist flow in Nashville in October

Streets on Halloween| ©BartShore
Streets on Halloween| ©BartShore

October is a month with low tourist influx in Nashville except for the Halloween weekend which attracts a larger number of tourists looking to have fun in the bars and nightclubs in the city.

Prices in Nashville in October

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

October is a relatively inexpensive month to visit Nashville. This at least if you compare it with the prices of the high tourist seasons of December and the summer months.

What to pack to visit Nashville in October?

Luggage| ©JamesDeMeyer
Luggage| ©JamesDeMeyer

Something you should not forget to bring to Nashville is a raincoat, as there are high chances of rain on your trip knowing that autumn is a season in which rain is usually present constantly.

I also advise you to bring comfortable shoes so you can walk quietly downtown and above all do not forget to bring appropriate clothing for all types of social contexts.