Annual Festivals & Events

Downtown Nashville at Sunset
Major annual events
Event | Month held and location |
---|---|
Nashville Film Festival | A weeklong festival in April that features hundreds of independent films. It is one of the largest film festivals in the Southern United States. |
Nashville Fashion Week | A citywide event typically held in March or April, this is a celebration of Nashville’s fashion and retail community featuring local, regional and national design talent in fashion events and shows. |
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon | Marathon, half marathon, and 5k race held in April with runners from around the world. In 2012, participation surpassed 30,000 runners. |
Iroquois Steeplechase | Annual steeplechase horse racing event held in May at Percy Warner Park. |
CMA Music Festival | A four-day event in June featuring performances by country music stars, autograph signings, artist/fan interaction, and other activities for country music fans. |
Nashville Pride | A festival held in June at Public Square Park that fosters awareness of and for the LGBT community and culture in Middle Tennessee. The 2015 festival drew an estimated 15,000-20,000 people, possibly making it the event’s largest gathering since the festival began. |
Let Freedom Sing! | Held every Fourth of July at Riverfront Park, featuring a street festival and live music, and culminating in one of the largest fireworks shows in the country. An estimated 280,000 people attended the 2014 celebration. |
Tomato Art Festival | Held each August in East Nashville, this event celebrates the Tomato as a Unifier. |
African Street Festival | Held in September on the campus of Tennessee State University. It is committed to connecting and celebrating the extensions of Africa to America. |
Live on the Green Music Festival | A free concert series held in August and September at Public Square Park by local radio station Lightning 100. |
Tennessee State Fair | The State Fair held in September at the State Fairgrounds, which lasts nine days and includes rides, exhibits, rodeos, tractor pulls, and numerous other shows and attractions. |
Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival | A free event held the first Saturday in October at Centennial Park, it is Middle Tennessee’s largest multicultural festival and includes music and dance performances, ethnic food court, children’s area, teen area, and marketplace. |
Nashville Oktoberfest | A free event held in the historic Germantown neighborhood since 1981, it celebrates the culture and customs of Germany. Oktoberfest is Nashville’s oldest annual festival and is one of the largest in the South.In 2015, over 143,000 people attended the three-day event which raised $60,000 for Nashville non-profits. |
Southern Festival of Books | A festival held in October, featuring readings, panels, and book signings. |
Country Music Association Awards | Award ceremony normally held in November at the Bridgestone Arena and televised to a national audience. |
Veterans Day Parade | A parade running down Broadway on 11/11 at 11:11.11 am since 1951. Features include 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Tennessee National Guard, veterans from wars past and present, military plane fly-overs, tanks, motorcycles, first responder vehicles, marching bands and thousands of spectators. |
Nashville has several professional sports teams, of which two, the Nashville Predators of the NHL and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, play at the highest professional level of their respective sports.
Club | Sport | League | Venue | Established |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tennessee Titans | Football | National Football League | Nissan Stadium | 1960 |
Nashville Predators | Hockey | National Hockey League | Bridgestone Arena | 1997 |
Nashville Sounds | Baseball | Pacific Coast League | First Tennessee Park | 1978 |
Nashville FC | Soccer | National Premier Soccer League | Vanderbilt Soccer Complex | 2013 |